Beyond the Dark Veil: Finding My Way
by TerraKH
Summary: You asked for it and here it is! The fifth book in the Wanderer's series is here! Marek Rikkison is leading the charge this time around, and his past will be revealed along the way! As a mysterious enemy lurks on the horizon with a connection to the Ancients, an old rival from Marek's past makes an appearance, forcing him to take up arms and defend the worlds that he lives in.
1. Opening: A Dark Wanderer

**Well, hello to everyone, both old readers and new people just coming here because the name and summary sounded cool! If you know me, then you know how my stories start off! This is the fifth book in my Wanderer's Series, and it will lead to the sixth and final book! So if you're just now coming here for the first time, you can see that we're a good ways into the series. So I highly recommend that you go to my profile page by clicking on my name above, and going down to my stories and selecting the very first book, Kingdom Hearts 3: Into the Depths of Darkness. **

**To those returning, welcome back! I hope to see most if not all of my normal reviewers return, and any new additions to my circle of followers are completely welcome, and I definitely encourage you to speak up and tell what I'm doing right or wrong! But anyway, I guess I'll just start with a role call for now. **

**Right now, the only things I own are anyone with the last name Rikkison(namely Marek, Jack, Rayne, Jason, Mist, and Pierce). Also, any mentions of the three Divine Beings also belong to me, along with any major events mentioned or seen(in flashbacks) that occurred earlier in the Wanderer's Series(such as the Second Keyblade War, the Third Keyblade War, and the Time Paradox) should also be acknowledged as my design and making.**

**But all inspiration goes to my wonderful readers and reviewers, and of course to Square Enix for all their work in the Kingdom Hearts series, despite their…..recent….economical status, ANYWAY! **

**So I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me talk and you just wanna get to what you came for, so I'll shut up! Enjoy!**

"Jason, I don't think he's coming. Just start the meeting." Jack whispered calmly to his father. Jason nodded from his seat at the head of their long meeting table. Gathered in the room that had once been Yen Sid's side room where much of Rayne's childhood transpired, the entirety of the known Keybladers(or at least most of them) had come from across their various posts in the worlds.

Jason sighed as he calmly stood up, the casual chatter quickly quieting down in respect for their high master. "Thank you all for coming here so quickly. I know my request was urgent and unforeseen, but I thank you for responding as fast as you all did. But now, on to the matter that I called you all here about. As you know, these last five years we have enjoyed a cautious, wary peace. Only half a decade ago, we all struggled through what we now refer to as the Third Keyblade War. Since then, as many of you also know, I have begun uniting the Keybladers under one rank, one agency. And thus was born the Light's Enforcers." he began, gesturing to the armor he was wearing and to the same armor worn by many sitting in the meeting.

"Did we just come out here for a history lesson, old man?" Lea commented from the far end of the table with a slight smirk. Jason sighed and slightly shook his head.

"If you will be patient enough to allow me to finish, Master Lea, we may finish this meeting without you returning to Agent First Rank." he said calmly, but irritably. Lea quickly nodded.

"I'll shut up now." he murmured as his face turned as red as his hair. With that, Jason addressed everyone else.

"The reason that I have brought you all here, is that the LE field commander, Master Riku, has brought us a new report of the darkness and….familiar faces." he explained to them, looking two seats over to his left, where Riku was sitting. Riku nodded and stood up solemnly.

"While all of you have been patrolling the worlds, I've kept close watch on the borders of the receding darkness. It's as Jason predicted, that the darkness just keeps diminishing. The Specters are completely gone, and the Heartless are at an all time low. They're even less than before the Second Keyblade War. But at the same time, I've seen a lot of unrest beginning to stir in most of the core parts of the universe of worlds. There's something, or someone, who's pulling the strings, and no matter how hard I've looked for him, he always eludes me. There's also been no trace of Light or Darkness, but I don't think that we should forget about them yet. For this topic, I'm going to return it to Jason." he explained to them slowly. Jason nodded and let everyone else think about what Riku had just told them.

"I did manage to scavenge some of Yen Sid's library, and combined with Mickey's and Ansem the Wise's, we may find something that we have all overlooked." he paused to glance at Eraqus, who was the only other one in the room over the age of fifty. "These….Divine Beings, as they have been labeled in the books of history, are something that we have all underestimated. And also, Light and Darkness are not the only ones in existence." he told everyone. Terra cleared his throat.

"What do you mean? We have only ever seen the conflict of Light and Darkness, and now you're telling us that there are more of them?" he asked calmly. Jason sighed and reached down to the table and picked up a massive book, that had a span of about two feet. He slowly opened it up to a certain page and turned it around to show them all.

"Behold, the true essences of Light…and Darkness." he told them slowly. On the two pages shown of the book, one ethereal figure was standing on each. One the left page was a broad aura of white flames, and amidst the flames was the outline of a muscular figure. But of the face, only its glowing eyes could be seen. No other facial feature existed.

On the other page was the exact opposite. Most of the page was completely blackened, and in the center was swirling cloud of black and purple fog. Standing in the fog was the dark outline of a being just radiating menace with his glowing red eyes. It was common sense which one was Light and which one was Darkness. "These two beings, you are all familiar with. You witnessed some of their power in the final battle of the Third Keyblade War. But Light's true power was never unleashed, due to Jack having such a strong heart. But Darkness never held anything back. It was only because of Marek's surge of strength during those final moments that let him seize control from Darkness, or as we knew him at the time, Illusion. However, there is one that none of you have ever even heard a rumor of….." he explained to them as he calmly turned the page again.

This time, an entire landscape was etched into the background of the page. The greenery on the very edges of the page slowly wilted and turned brown the closer they got to the center of the page, where stood a third towering muscular figure. This one's eyes were a glowing brown, and he had little more than a cloak surrounding his body, which was only a gray outline. Likewise, his glowing gray aura oozed out around him, and all the greenery close to him was completely brown and dead. "Corruption." Jason told them, whispering the name spitefully.

"It sounds like you two have met." Jack muttered from the side. Jason nodded.

"Illusion unwittingly placed one of his greatest enemies within the father of his host that he had resurrected, namely me. And so without any of us knowing, Corruption also played a part in the Third Keyblade War." he finished.

"So, you think these three….. 'Divine beings' are somehow pulling our strings and trying regain physical form or something?" Roxas asked from the other side of the table. Jason sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"All we know is that someone is hiding in the shadows and biding their time. They're slowly and covertly manipulating the darkness, and the light. We don't know why yet, but we must actively search for any answers or clues that will point us in the right direction." he replied. Roxas nodded and looked over at Xion and Namine with a sigh. Lea leaned his head against his hand as he tried to stay awake.

"And that brings us to the true topic of the meeting." Riku spoke up, quieting everyone again. He stood up and looked around the table with a firm stare. "There is one among us, the Keybladers, who still has yet to stand trial for crimes committed against the entire universe. There is one, who answers to no world, no government, and certainly not to us. I think it's pretty clear about who I'm talking about. There's not a single person around this table who doesn't have a clue who I mean." he said solemnly. Jack rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. A moment later, Mist gently smacked him in the back of the head and gave him a warning glare.

"We all know, Riku." Terra told him quietly. Riku nodded and continued.

"Then we shouldn't delay this any longer. Marek Rikkison should be held accountable for the actions committed by himself throughout the Third Keyblade War, and perhaps even before. He should be judged by a true and unbiased trial for all of his crimes. He should be in our custody until such a time, or he should be immediately brought to trial here. Regardless, he cannot be left to wander the worlds. He has not earned that kind of trust." he told them firmly. Silence filled the room for several moments, until finally Aqua stood up. With an apologetic glance at Jack, she nodded.

"I agree with Riku." she said simply. Terra stared at Jack for a long moment, who shook his head. Terra sighed, before standing up with his wife. Ven, who was sitting next to Xion holding her hand, stood up too. She quickly followed him. In just a few moments, everyone around the table except for Sora, Kairi, Jack, Mist, and Rayne were standing in agreement. Finally, Mist gently squeezed Jack's arm and stood up, followed by Kairi and Rayne. Jack was beyond furious at Riku's proposal, and stared at Sora as his cousin stood up, as well, leaving only him in Marek's defense.

Finally, he stood up, but for a different reason. "You all move to condemn a man that's not even here to defend himself." he told them spitefully.

"He's not here, Jack, because he ignored our summons to this meeting." Jason reminded him. Jack shook his head.

"That's just Marek. He does what he wants to do. Father, you know he's always been like that. I instead think that we should offer him membership of the LE under probation circumstances." he proposed. This remark was instantly met with sniggers and gasps of shock from the Keybladers gathered around him. Even Mist looked at him in complete surprise.

"Marek answers to no one, and he will not enter this agency while he is a rogue wanderer not unlike yourself before the Second Keyblade War, Jack. We all stand in agreement against you. Your brother must stand trial." Jason told him somewhat sadly, shaking his head. Jack's lip curled in angry disgust.

"He's not just my brother. He's your son too, _Jason_. And if this is how cowardly you've all gotten, to the point where you'll shake in your boots at a man as tortured by his past as we all have been at one time, then you can count me out. I want nothing to do with any of this." he told them angrily. Without a backward glance, he turned and stormed out of the room. Mist and Terra quickly ran out after him, leaving everyone else to sigh and try to finish up the meeting. Jason, however, could not forget how spitefully his second son had addressed him.

And so, five years after the ending the Third Keyblade War, Marek Rikkison is not left in very good confidence with most of the Keybladers…**(Marek's Theme 2{Wrong, Depeche Mode}) **

_ON A NOT TOO DISTANT BATTLEFIED….._

_FOR ONE MAN, WAR HAS BECOME A DAILY STRUGGLE…_

_THE ROAD THAT HE HAS WALKED SINCE HIS BIRTH….._

_AND THE WAY AHEAD THAT HE IS STILL CARVING FOR HIMSELF…_

_ARE KNOWN ONLY TO HIMSELF…_

_HE IS CALLED SELFISH, AND A MURDERER….._

_TRAITOR….._

_SEEKER OF GREATER DARKNESS…_

_BUT NOW, THEY WILL ALL SEE HIM IN A NEW LIGHT…_

_HE HAS NOT CHANGED, FOR TRUE LEGENDS NEVER DO….._

_BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE…_

_MAREK RIKKISON NEVER COULD HAVE FORESEEN THE ROLE THAT HE WOULD PLAY IN SAVING THE FUTURE, OR THE SYMBOL OF HOPE THAT HE WOULD BECOME…_

_BUT THAT IS IN THE FUTURE…_

_FOR NOW, WE START HERE…..AT THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL…_

_BONDS WILL BE FORGED….._

_RELATIONSHIPS WILL BE TESTED…_

_AND THE STAINED HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE'S DARKEST RIKKISON SHALL FINALLY COME TO LIGHT…_

_FOR AS MAREK HIMSELF DISCOVERED ALONG THIS NEW CHAPTER IN THE WANDERER'S SERIES…_

_THE ONLY PATH BACK TO THE LIGHT….._

_IS THROUGH THE DARKNESS….._

UNKOWN WORLD, UNKNOWN AREA…

Marek sighed as he walked down the dark and narrow path in front of him. He slowly came to a stop and looked behind at the way he had come, seeing the same path he was on stretch back for countless miles, over hills and eventually disappearing over a towering snow capped mountain. He smiled slightly as he turned and kept walking, silently reaching back and pulling his black hood up over his face and bringing his equally black cloak in tighter around him. He summoned his plain black but broad bladed Keyblade to his hand and began twirling it.

Of course, he could have just traveled through dark portals or on his rider, but he chose this path. This was his punishment, taking the long road, trying to escape a past that he could only ever dream of forgetting. But even as he ran from the raging storm of his own failings, he knew that eventually his past would catch up to him. He knew how the LE felt about him, and as far as he was concerned, they could all jump off the top of their tower. He didn't care what any of them said, let alone Jack and maybe Rayne. He knew he didn't belong with the heroes. That was Jack's song, playing the hero. No, he wasn't Jack, and he was glad of it. He was Marek, and being Marek, you get used to being in the shadows. But even as the white haired man smirked and continued walking with whatever purpose he had in his heart, he could only think of one thought: _"The shadows are much more fun, anyways."_ He was never born to play the hero, but they all had their own roads to walk. This was his, and he would take it unhesitatingly, not even knowing where it would lead.

**TerraKH presents…..**

**The Fifth entry in the Wanderer's Series…..**

**Many stories have already been told….**

**Jack has had his own stories…..**

**So have Pierce and Sora….**

**But now, the most unlikely character considering his original conception, is taking the reins…..**

**With Marek in charge, who knows where we'll end up at the end?**

**Alright, so there you go. Sorry it took so long to get out, but don't be completely overjoyed just yet. There will still be long gaps between updates. I apologize, it's not my fault I promise. But I will update whenever I can. **

**So I hope you liked the opening, and I know it's only the first chapter, but I have a favor to ask you! I'm sick of using the same worlds every single time(as I'm sure you all are too!), and so I would like to use a new roster of worlds, and I'm open to using a lot of Disney ones. But you with Marek and his past, they need to be worlds that are dark, so places like Atlantica wouldn't exactly fit, you know what I'm saying? So if you can think of some that fit, let me know in your review! I'm keeping an open mind! Alright, well that's all I have to say, so I'll be seeing you soon, hopefully!**


	2. Ch 2: Lingering Suspicion

**Hey, everyone! I'll go to the shout outs and then announcements after:**

**No. XIII: Welcome back! They all would fit, but weren't they all in DDD? Although Chernabog was already planned, but he won't be in that world. **

**Celeron96: Thanks, I'm glad it's got you hooked already! **

**troyboltonsgirl: I'm not guaranteeing, but they're definitely possible! Thanks! **

**Lucenthia: Thanks, and that's not till way later in the story, but I know everyone's gonna love that scene! Thanks for both suggestions, they're definitely being considered! **

**MEleeSmasher: I don't plan on using Marvel, simply because it would be too difficult to try and fit all of that in so late into the series(what with all the X-Men, Avengers, guns, firearms and all that stuff). Star Wars will be a confirmed world in here, yes. Thank you for your help! Two of the current six episodes will be featured, one from the Prequel Trilogy and one from the Original. **

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: At this point, Jack really is the only one who genuinely cares. I mean, Jason and Rayne do too, but not to the point where they'll stand up for him against the others. Well, that was just a cameo trial to see how people would react, and it's not gonna happen. If I do any romance in here, It'll be Terqua, Jast(Jack and Mist XD), Sokai, Rokunami, and RikuxXion. Star Wars will be in here, yeah. **

**The Unknowing Herald: It just shows how much Jack really cares. Don't worry about that. I'm considering that one, but I'd need to watch it again. I think I still have it. **

**Legionary Prime: Great to be back! Thanks for your advice! **

**13TheAce: We rarely can. Even I can't wait for that, haha! **

**Okay, so bear with me a little bit as we start off this story. Since Marek doesn't really have a designated home base, I wasn't really sure how to start this story off. Like in RTDoD, we started in Yen Sid's Tower, in NPNW we started at the Land of Departure, etc. So I didn't want to dive right into worlds yet, so this is what came out in the end. I hope you enjoy it anyway! **

**I own the Rikkisons, the Three Divine Beings, and any mentions of happenings within the Wanderer's Series! **

Chapter 2: Lingering Suspicion

"_Shadow…traitor….murderer…..dark wanderer." _Everywhere he traveled and went to, Marek always heard these words muttered in his direction. People instantly judged him by his past, and it mattered to no one that Darkness had been in control most of the time. At times, it greatly saddened him. Other times, it just really ticked him off. Finally, as he was walking into Twilight Town, he was stopped by an angry looking man.

"I know who you are. You show your face here, even after everything you did? You've really got some nerve." the man furiously said to him as he reached out a hand to shove Marek.

At this time, Marek's real face and attire were hidden beneath his black cloak and hood, but something about his presence seemingly gave away who he was. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." he warned the man calmly, placing his arms at his sides and waiting for the man to step aside and let him walk by. But alas, the man was a foolish one.

"You think I'm scared of you?!" he yelled as he placed his hand on the front of Marek's shoulder and moved to shove him backwards. Before he could even smirk and push him, Marek snatched the man's fist and curled it backwards. The man snarled in pain, and the hooded Rikkison calmly leaned back and threw the man over his shoulder, making him land on his back with a loud thud, and let go of his hand.

"I did warn you." Marek told him calmly, immediately turning and walking away from him. The angry man leaned up on his elbows and stared at his back.

"We all know who you are! You can't hide yourself here, you're not welcome in this town! You're not welcome anywhere!" he yelled antagonistically. To his dismay, Marek just kept walking away from him. "Even your family hates you!" he spat with a smirk. He narrowed his eyes as Marek sighed and stopped walking. He turned around and calmly walked back over to him.

Marek reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing his face. His hair was now almost to his shoulders, notably different from Jack's shorter hair style. His green eyes glared brightly and turbulently, as if an intense struggle was going on behind them. He placed his foot on the man's arm, and instantly thrust downward. The man screamed in pain as he heard his arm snap and felt pain instantly shoot all the way up his shoulder. Marek leaned down and placed his elbow on his knee, that leg still balancing on the man's broken arm. "Do you seriously think that bothers me? After everything I've been through, I could care less what people think of me. Why would I care what my "family" thinks of me when I'm out here living on my own? People like you think you're so tough, challenging someone like me. You just don't get it. I have lived through more than you could ever imagine, and now I have to put up with little twerps like you. Next time you feel like insulting someone far stronger than yourself, remember this lesson." he spat calmly, pressing firmly down on the man's broken arm for another few seconds.

The man instantly began to scream in pathetic misery, and as Marek was about to take his foot off of him, he heard an angry voice. "Marek!" it yelled.

Marek sighed and rolled his eyes. "Don't fret, dear brother. I'm already getting off of him." he replied neutrally. Jack ran up to him and immediately put a hand on his forehead and sighed.

"What did you do to him?" he asked in a way that said he was afraid to. Marek shrugged his shoulders as he turned away from them and rubbed the dirt off of his hands on his cloak.

"I gave him a talk. He got smart with me, and thought he'd have a go at me, so I just gave him a little taste of what it's like." he replied evasively. Jack rolled his eyes and bent down to the whimpering man.

"You broke his arm." he muttered.

"Like I said, he wanted to have a go at me, so I let him." Marek replied as he began to walk down the street.

"Stay there, Marek." Jack told him warningly. The white haired Rikkison just sighed and kept walking.

"You say that in a way that sounds like you intend to make me." he commented. Jack quickly ran a hand over the man's arm, and a green aura covered it for a few seconds. After that, the man quickly got up and ran away, towards the Sandlot. Jack then turned to where his brother was still walking away.

"That is not my intent, but I will if you make me." he told him warningly. Marek sighed and slowed to a stop, before slowly turning around to face him.

"Is there something you want to ask me, Jack?" he asked, his arms hanging casual by his sides, his cloak gathered in tight around his body.

"Dare I ask why you broke that man's arm?" his brother asked him.

"He ticked me off." Marek simply replied.

"You can't just go breaking people's arms because they jeer at you. We've both put up with it all our lives. Why is now any different?" Jack scolded him somewhat angrily as he walked toward his brother.

"Don't talk to me like you understand what I'm going through, Jack. It's so easy for elegant words to come out of your mouth when you've played the hero for so long. I was never so lucky. You may have played your part as the Wanderer, but now it's me that's forever cursed to that fate. I've always been stuck in shadow, not that I mind. Just don't talk to me like you know what it's like to be manipulated by forces beyond your control." Marek told him sardonically, shaking his head. Jack stopped walking and stood about six feet from him.

"What are you talking about, Marek? I know that our childhood was torn from us, but you know that I was Xehanort's tool for many years. I haven't had a peaceful life, either." he said, but Marek just laughed in response, still shaking his head.

"You really have no idea, brother. I was the one that Xehanort first set eyes on. Why else do you think I manifested darkness at such a young age and attacked my beloved brother? I have fought for my entire life. I've fought greater battles than you can hardly dream of. We've both had our struggles, but until you can understand what I've been through, I really don't need you to tell me what to do." he calmly told his younger brother.

Jack sighed and looked at the ground, crossing his arms. "The LE has put out a warrant for you, you know. Being an agent myself, my orders are to turn you in." he told him seriously. Now Marek crossed his shoulders.

"And what does dear selfless heroic Jack plan to do with his brother?" he mockingly asked. His brown haired twin was silent for several moments.

"I never did understand you, Marek. And it's just now that I'm thinking I probably never will. But, you are my brother, and you are my family. I promise to have your back, should you ever need me. My official report will be that you disappeared through a dark portal before I could get to you. That will buy you a little time. But be careful, brother. Riku is relentless right now. He's determined to bring you in, and he's convinced that you're a threat." he calmly explained. The white haired Rikkison nodded slowly, genuinely surprised by what Jack was doing.

"And what do you believe?" he had to ask. Jack stared at him for several seconds, and smiled.

"You're my brother. And you're just trying to live your own life. You don't want anything to do with the worlds or starting a way anymore. As far as I'm concerned, you're my long lost brother who I'm glad to finally have back." he told him. Marek was shocked by his brother's heartfelt words, but didn't show it in his face. Instead, he silently turned away and summoned a dark portal.

"Thanks for the warning, brother. But don't follow me. After all, everything close to me crumbles to pieces, and the last thing I want is for one of the two people I care about in this world to fall because of me." he replied, before stepping through.

* * *

DESTINY ISLANDS…..

**(Beyond the Dark Veil Main Theme{Love & Loss, Two Steps From Hell})**

Marek opened his portal up high up in the sky and instantly dropped out of it. He twirled in mid air as he began to descend on his stomach. He calmly reached down and undid the folds on his belt, releasing his cloak. It immediately furled out behind him and flung away, falling toward the ocean a good distance away from him.

Now his true attire could be seen: gray armored leggings, white gauntlets, and a stolen suit of upper body armor from Jason's Tower, AKA the LE's headquarters. He smirked, knowing whose armor he had actually stolen, and continued to descend. He flipped around, now facing the water with his legs up in the air and his face toward the rapidly approaching ocean. He tucked his arms in close and closed his eyes.

He breathed deeply as the water got ever closer to him, and as his hair continued to whip wildly around his face, he opened his eyes, and they flashed yellow for a split second right before he hit the water's surface.

In that split second, darkness had covered his entire body, and created an indention in the water, making his entrance completely painless and smooth. As he calmly swam around in the water, the darkness disappeared. He quickly headed for the nearest bunch of underwater rocks. He firmly planted his shoes on the soft sand of the ocean floor and weaved his way through the numerous rocks. He smirked as he gently pushed one out of his way and revealed a hole in the rock wall. He crouched down and quickly swam through it.

In less than a minute, he surfaced in a small underground cave and picked himself up onto the hard ground. He stood up and flexed his right hand outward, sending several small balls of flame onto torches on the walls, illuminating the area. With his other hand, he summoned a small tornado that instantly engulfed him. When it disappeared, all of the water on his clothes, hair, and skin was gone, leaving him completely dry. He sighed as he took the LE armor off, ripping off the name tag that read "Master Riku" and placing the armor on a stone bench at the back of the cave. The armor was black, and held the Kingdom Hearts symbol on the chestplate, but it wouldn't stay that way for long.

None of them understood him, but Marek understood himself clearly, and he was the only one that mattered. As far as he was concerned, no one else knew his story, and everything he had been through, so why be offended that they judge him for the events of the Third Keyblade War? They were ignorant fools, all of them, and Marek could only laugh at himself to hide his own shame. For in his heart, he knew they were right. The Third Keyblade War was his own fault. It was his fault for having a weak heart in the first place. He should have known from the beginning what Darkness would do to him, and he cursed himself for accepting Xehanort's offer in the first place…..

But he tried not to dwell on that, and so he set about reshaping the armor and molding it into something that he could call his own. For he did not belong to the LE, nor did he belong to his own group of enemies. He did not belong with the guardians of light, but neither did he stand with the seekers of darkness, or the followers of corruption. He was his own man, and he stood tall on his own feet, something that took Jack his entire life to learn how to do.

He was his own man, and even then, he could not foresee the destiny that fate had laid out for him. **(end Love & Loss)**

**Well, there's chapter 2. Again, I'm sorry if it wasn't usual standards, but I didn't wanna start off with a flashback sequence or diving right into the worlds. I hope it was enjoyable enough, and please leave me a review! Right now, my update schedule is looking at once a week at the most, so I apologize about that! But that's all I have to say for the night, so just scroll down a little more and fill in that box with your thoughts! You know you wanna! **


	3. Ch 3: Servant of Shadows

**Hey, guys. School's really kicking my butt right now, so I'm sorry about the late updates. Shout outs:**

**No. XIII: Hmm, that's a toughie. I'll have to think about it more. Thanks for the input!**

**Shadowdragon1317: It's not that Jason wants to do anything to Marek. It's the fact that he is the leader of the entire Keyblader forces right now, and they all(supporting Riku) are demanding that he answer. There's very little Jason can do at this point. **

**13TheAce: Well, everyone needs someone to blame, right? Well, if you remember….haha!**

**SorasApprenticeNumberOne: Well thanks! I guess the setup is what really makes you anticipate everything. Not at all, I was hoping for that angle! Because remember, this isn't the NPNW version of the character, this is the post-RTDoD version. He has to grow into who we saw in NPNW. Riku just sees what he could have done in what Marek did. If Ansem had gained a stronger foothold in his heart, or if Darkness had made him a target, Riku wouldn't have stood a chance against them. So he can't help but blame Marek for the events caused by Illusion. **

**Celeron96: Haha, gotcha! And oh trust me, if Marek ever says anything, he's not gonna care what he says!**

**Lucenthia: Well, I want to get to the plot, but I'm forcing myself not to. Haha, good because it was purposely done. And yes, Jason's Tower is what was once called Yen Sid's Tower. **

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Haha, well the cave itself will be explored more later on. Thanks, and come to think of it, that was the real first conversation the two brothers truly had. In RTDoD it was Illusion in control up into the final scenes, and in NPNW, Jack was dead long before Marek entered the plot. We'll first see her close to the end of the first flashback sequence, so still a good ways. **

**The Unknowing Herald: Haha, well I'm definitely trying! How's Normalcy coming?**

**Well, I hope by now in the series you know what I own! So here's chapter 3! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Servant of Shadows

Across the entire islands, everything seemed quiet and calm. But even as the calm and blissful night sky loomed overhead, illuminating the small town of houses, whose inhabitants were sleeping peacefully, not all was quite so calm.

In the underground cavern, a single man lay on a raised bed mat near his work bench. His body was almost completely still, and he was breathing deeply, showing clear signs of peaceful slumber.

But within, this could not have been further from the truth.

MAREK'S DREAM…..

"_Jason!" Marek yelled as he stumbled through the wreckage. The flames were all around him, and the heat was so intense that he could feel it through his cloak like scorching torches. Black smoke hung heavy in the air, obscuring his vision and making it nearly impossible to see, but he still tried to find his way through. _

"_Marek! Where are you!?" Jack's voice faintly echoed from somewhere around him. _

"_I'm here! Where is Eclipse?! I'll kill that asshole!" he growled back through the smoke. _

"_Brother, forget that bounty hunter! We have to find any survivors trapped in the wreckage. I haven't seen Rayne since before everything happened!" Jack's voice echoed again. Marek opened his mouth to respond, but that was when he glanced behind him. _

_The smoke began to clear behind him, and standing in the midst of the smoking wreckage was a figure completely shrouded in a brown cloak. "YOU!" Marek yelled to him angrily as he turned around. "You're the one behind this!" he summoned Vengeance Seeker to his hand and furiously adopted a battle stance. The cloaked figure chuckled and reached inside the furls of his cloak, unsheathing a long dark blade._

"_Are you really that arrogant, that you think you can challenge me, boy?" the figure asked him. Marek narrowed his eyes and gave him an angry smirk. _

"_I'm not arrogant. I just know which one of us has more to lose. You may be "immortal", but once I kill you, then maybe they'll really start calling me the Son of Darkness. After all, it was what I was born to be. Through your pawn Xehanort, you created an enemy far more powerful than you ever thought possible: ME." he told him calmly, a split second before dashing through the air. _**(Marek's theme 1{Archangel, TSFH})**

_Even as Marek flew through the air, the cloaked figure spun to the side and swung his black sword out in a broad arc. Marek changed position, bringing his Keyblade up in a quick block maneuver, before planting his feet onto the ground and rolling forward, coming back up with his fist flying forward, covered in darkness. _

_The cloaked man froze for a split second, and vanished, reappearing behind his opponent with a quiet chuckle. As the white haired Rikkison changed position, the man threw something to the ground and disappeared as a thick veil of fog instantly sprang up, covering the area. Marek glared as he quickly looked all around him, seeing no movement in the fog other than the previously existing flames covering the area around him. He sighed, and closed his eyes and crouching into a ready position. _

_When he opened them again, his eyes were glowing yellow. He peered through the fog, looking for any glowing objects that would give off a heat signature. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something spring out with a raised sword. He instantly dashed out to meet him and clashed in mid-air. _

"_You think yourself to be a denizen of Darkness, Rikkison? I think not. You really think yourself to be the Lord of all Darkness, do you not? You have no idea what true power really is. You could never comprehend it. You are only a human, a resident of this pitiful mortal world. This is merely what happens when a traveler meets a fallen tree limb in his path." the figure growled at him calmly. Marek roared, exploding with darkness and instantly extinguishing all of the fog and fire around them. In less than a second, purple flames took their place and a ring of blue fire erupted, keeping both of them trapped within the area. _

"_You're right, about me I mean. I do think myself to be the Lord of Darkness, but I'm not truly that arrogant. I'm merely the Seeker of true Darkness. I harbored it for so many years, and it no longer can have a hold over me. I've learned its secret, and I shall learn yours in no time, as well. This is merely what happens when a traveler meets a fallen tree limb in his path? I agree, and I'm just gonna kick you to the side of the path and keep on walking. It's what I do best. So are you gonna rise to the challenge, or fall and let me be on my way? You and Eclipse don't stand a chance. Now, it's time for round two!" he yelled, letting out a war cry as he sprinted across the area, grinding his blade on the stone ground and swinging it with all of his might. _**(end Marek's Theme)**

_The background instantly changed from there, and the dream took on another scene. _

_A montage of worlds passed by in a blur. A single long hallway was shown, and a dark portal opened up out of the ground, and a second later, Marek leaped out of it and ran for his life. Seemingly chasing after him, a wave of darkness gushed out of the portal and filled up the hallway, chasing after him. At the forefront of the wave was the vague outline of a figure with glowing eyes. Marek glanced behind him and saw his pursuer gaining on him. He ran even faster, shedding his cloak to sprint lighter. He was covered head to toe in armor. Half of it was colored entirely white, and the other half was black. The insignia on his chest was a blazing sun being eclipsed by a crescent moon. In another second, he was already much further down the hallway, still running for his life. _

_The figure in the darkness motioned his arm forward, and a tendril of darkness instantly shot toward the fleeing Rikkison, quickly covering the ground in hot pursuit. Marek could feel the energy nearing him, and quickly leaped to the side, running along on the wall. He leaped upward and flipped around, planting his feet on the ceiling. He kicked off, summoning his Keyblade and impaling it into the floor right where the tendril of darkness was reaching for him. The tendril shrieked as Marek quickly turned and continued sprinting. The figure in the darkness quickly drew back his arm as if he had touched fire. It was clear that the white haired Rikkison was quite used to evading capture. _

By now, in his sleep, Marek was twitching around. He was sweating openly, but he was still trapped inside his dream.

_The final scene it forced him into, he immediately saw flashes of a young woman with long brunette hair and calm amber eyes. Traverse Town appeared around Marek as he was thrust into this final nightmare. "No…..no….." he muttered as his surroundings took shape. _

_He looked in front of him, to see the brunette haired girl standing in the middle of the 1__st__ District. As she began to turn to him, he felt a presence behind him. He quickly turned, bringing his Keyblade up(which had turned back into Darkness' Embrace). He swung quickly, deflecting a thrown dagger, which clanged and thudded into the side of the Accessory Shop. He looked up to the roof of the restaurant to see a shadowy figure, a different one than the one had fought. _

_The figure leaped high into the air and back flipped before falling to the ground with silent precision. "The great and powerful exile, Marek Rikkison. Or is it Illusion right now? Xehanort and our master send their regards. You're a runaway puppy, and you've abandoned your true purpose. You know what we do to sick and incurable animals, don't you?" he asked with a broad smirk. Marek just silently glared at him. _

_He quietly turned and began to slowly stalk toward him. "It looks like someone has an early death wish." he growled menacingly, and Marek's voice was not the only one speaking through that mouth. _

"_Heh, you might wanna check who's in control, Marek…" the man muttered somewhat nervously as he reached behind him and drew twin short swords, holding them back hand. 'Marek' laughed darkly and slowly as he continued walking toward him. His clothes became covered in darkness and then faded away, now leaving him in the attire of Illusion, black sleeveless shirt, chains, and all. _

"_Marek isn't home right now, but if you'd like to leave a message, I can give you his calling card….." he muttered as he raised his dark Keyblade and admired it before looking at the bounty hunter hungrily. The man known as Eclipse took a few steps backward in fear, but quickly adopted a serene smile as he leaped high into the air and brought his arms out wide. In just a few moments, the sky began to darken, and the sun began to fade out of the sky. _

Marek awoke with a start. He was out of breath, and his chest felt like it was on fire. He slowly sat up and tossed his cloak aside, that serving as his blanket. He got off of his bed mat and slowly walked to the corner of his cave, where he had set up a makeshift mirror. His hair was all over the place, and he was starting to regret letting it grow out to be so long. He was like his brother in one way, at least: they both slept shirtless. But with Marek's broad but fit upper body, he sported so many scars that it made Jack look like a spoiled child. "It was all a damn dream…..just a nightmare." he muttered to himself.

"Indeed, a dream, but also….more than that." a soft voice answered. Marek instantly picked up a decent sized knife from the base of his mirror and whirled around, holding it in his left hand summoning his Keyblade to his right.

A grey cloud had appeared in the center of the cave. Two small bolts of lightning shot outward, knocking both of Marek's weapons away and knocking him back into his mirror, cracking it in several places. "I mean you no harm, and I thank you to return the favor." the voice told him. In another moment, the cloud began to fold into itself, and in a flash of light, it was replaced with a thin and withered figure, covered in a thin red cloak. "Greetings, Marek Rikkison." he spoke in an old and thin voice.

"Dawnomar." Marek muttered in dawning comprehension. Dawnomar nodded as he leaned on his staff.

"These dreams are no random occurrence, child of light and darkness. You still regard yourself as a failure, and you always compare yourself to the successes of your brother." he told him as he calmly walked over to him.

"I don't…." Marek began, but instantly ducked as Dawnomar swung his staff at him in irritation. "I don't compare myself to Jack's successes!" he argued.

"Alas, but you do. Beneath your cocky exterior, you are the most insecure person that I have ever seen. You are afraid of your past." Dawnomar calmly told him.

"The past isn't important!" the white haired Rikkison yelled as he walked past the old man and picked up his knife, placing it on his work bench.

"You could not be more wrong on that point, son of Darkness. It is in the past that the answers lie. Look inside your own memories, Marek. The Third Keyblade War did not mean the end of our struggles. There is worse yet to come. And only you can be prepared for it." he explained. Marek shook his head.

"You're talking to the wrong guy. Go find Sora, or Riku. Go talk to Jack. He's the Rikkison everyone regards as a hero. I'm just an exile lost in shadow." he quietly told him, picking up a hammer and continuing to work on his armor.

"Jack cannot deal with this threat, Marek. You have faced it before, and you alone know how to fight it. The answer lies within the storm of memories that you have spent so long running away from. The time has come to turn and face it. It is time to embrace who you are yourself, and be damned what everyone else thinks of you. The universe needs you, not what others want of you." he firmly explained. Marek just shook his head and kept pounding his hammer down on the armor.

"What makes you think I've dealt with this threat before?" he asked. Dawnomar sighed as he looked up at him.

"The threat is Eclipse, your old rival. He has begun kidnapping select individuals, and we don't know why. I speak on behalf of the Council of Ancients, and we place you in charge of dealing with this threat." he explained. At the mention of the name Eclipse, Marek's hammer ceased to fall. He slowly turned and stared at Dawnomar for several silent seconds.

"Did you just give me an order?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Dawnomar sighed.

"Not I, but the entire Council, led by Lord Omnivion." he stated. Marek sniggered as he put on a grey shirt and fastened a cloak over it.

"Sorry, but in case you hadn't noticed, I don't take orders very well. I don't care who they're from, I don't answer to any government." he told the old man as he walked toward the pool of water at the entrance to the cave.

"You can't ignore this, Marek! You know what happened in the past! Would you risk even worse coming to pass?" Dawnomar tried one final time. When Marek ignored him and continued walking away, he reached inside his cloak and pulled out a small piece of paper. "This is an official letter of summons from the Council. You are the first mortal in a millennia to receive one. I suggest you accept it." he called out. Marek slowed for half a second.

"Maybe you didn't hear me, old man. I don't answer to any government. So you can tell his royal majesty Omnion or whatever his name is, that he can take his summons letter and shove it up his.." he talked until Dawnomar cut him off.

"You cannot run from destiny." he told him tiredly. Marek sighed and prepared for the plunge.

"I don't believe in destiny. I make my own. If you want a hero, go look for Jack. He'll be at Jason's Tower, or somewhere near there. I'm not the man for the job." he told him simply, before diving into the water and disappearing. Dawnomar sighed again as he looked upward.

"Oh these mortals. Ignorance truly would be bliss…..if it weren't so frustrating." he muttered as he returned to his cloud form and floated up toward the ceiling, disappearing as silently as he had come.

**Alright, I know it was a long wait, so I'm truly sorry about that. But I really did get it out as quick as it could. Okay, so I figured I'd give you some plot hints, and a couple of names that would be wise not to forget about! I'm already planning things out for United We Stand, so at least there won't be a big gap between this and the final story. But I digress! I hope you liked it, and please leave a review telling me what you think! **


	4. Ch 4: Forewarnings

**Wow. I think this is the longest I've ever gone without an update on one of my stories. But hey, it's not my fault. School is really, REALLY sucking right now. In the words of Kefka(just for Herald), I "hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate YOU," Chemistry! **

**Anyway, to the shout outs: **

**Lucenthia: Thanks, and well I'll get used to it sooner or later, haha! **

**Shadowdragon1317: Well, I'm glad Marek's still his usual self. You never know what I might do to him when I'm in a whacko mood, haha! **

**No. X111: Really? And well, it's definitely possible. I promise he will fight alongside other allies from other worlds. I have four or five worlds decided right now where he will have specific allies that I know at least some of you will know. **

**Celeron96: It will be explained later, but yes. Well that's definitely the truth!**

**SorasApprenticeNumberOne: Well, in a way I view Marek kinda like Big Boss from the Metal Gear series(sue me Herald XD). When he made his debut, he wasn't very popular, and he didn't seem to have his own character. But now he's a fan favorite and he's become kind of a dark and tragic hero. Well….maybe hero's a strong word, but you know what I mean. **

**The Unknowing Herald: What I decided is that Omnivion will just be his last name. His full name is Maechil Omnivion.**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: He is very much so. Anyone who Marek is wary of…..right? **

**13TheAce: Ha, more than a miracle! We would need like….a miracle of a miracle! **

**Legionary Prime: Thanks, and I'm heavily considering it! **

**Izumi Natsuno: Thanks! And I'm glad!**

**Well, I trust you all know what I own! Just one last announcement: since I announced it in Herald's shout out, I'll say it here. Lord Omnivion(after hearing backlash about the name) has become Maechil Omnivion. The name was already in the back of my mind, but I at least hope it doesn't sound as cheesy now. Anyone who can figure out where the name Maechil is derived from will get a special reward! I will be fair and give you a hint. It is a Biblical reference, and that probably gave it away. Even if you're not religious, it's still something you could figure out, I promise. Anyway, here's the chapter now! **

Chapter 4: Forewarnings

It was dusk, and the only light in the hallways of the tower was coming from the flickering torches. At the base of Jason's Tower, a portal of light opened up, and out of it came a person clad in the full armor of the LE. The Keyblader had a slender frame, and was slightly shorter in stature than the fellow agent who followed her out onto the grass.

The taller person sighed as he reached up and took off his helmet. It had been with great reluctance that Jack had agreed to don the LE's armor. It weighed him down, being much heavier than his usual attire, the armored sleeveless white shirt that he always wore, the fitted black pants, and the white gauntlet that covered his left arm. Instead, he had to walk around in heavy armor, and he didn't like it at all. "I still can't believe you let them talk you into wearing it." the smaller person next to him said with a laugh as she pulled off her own helmet.

"Oh yeah? Is that because I don't usually take orders?" he asked her with a calm smile. Rayne smirked back and shook her head as she put her hand on her hip.

"Oh, c'mon, Dad. You've taken orders from mom for as long as I can remember. I mean, I'm surprised you decided to join, considering what Riku and Grandfather are doing about Marek." she explained. Jack nodded slightly and walked toward the door.

Rayne followed him inside, and they both nodded in greeting to Ven, who was in the entrance hall sparring against practice dummies. "I know there is no malice in either of their hearts, but it stuns me that they can't see the wrongness of what they're doing." Jack muttered as they began walking up the stairs.

"Dad, what all do you even know about these 'Divine Beings' that Grandfather talked about at the last meeting? I knew there was something weird about the Light and Darkness that you and Marek used at the end of the Third Keyblade War, but I had no idea what they really were." she asked him. Jack sighed and stopped walking. He half turned to his daughter and leaned on the wall next to him.

"There were many terrible things that happened, Rayne. Many things that only a few of us are aware of. Jason, Sora, Marek, and myself to be specific. These things didn't happen long ago. They happened ten years into the future. Someone found a way to travel through time, and they eliminated almost all of the LE. Only you, Marek, Ven, and Sora were left of all of us. And by the end of it all, only Sora still lived. You, Ven, and Marek were all struck down. It was only because of your brother, Pierce, that things did not stay that way. He followed that villain back through time and struck him down after a long and exhausting battle. I am telling you this because all of those things that happened were caused by one of the Divine Beings, the one we know the least of, a being named Corruption. The other two Divine Beings are Light and Darkness, and they are what Marek and I became at the end of the last war. Light wants to purge the worlds in order to destroy Darkness, and Darkness wants to take control of the world in order to destroy Light. It's a never ending cycle, and we're trapped within it." he explained to her.

"My God….." she whispered, putting her hand on her chest in disbelief.

"Well, if you are telling tales, why not tell her all of it?" a new voice came from seemingly nowhere. Jack calmly looked around him, searching for the voice's owner. Rayne summoned Equilibrium to her hand, but he quickly touched her wrist and lowered it.

"So it seems you're involving yourself more and more in the affairs of mortals, old man. Tell me, does the entire Council care for us humans as much as you seem to?" he asked the room.

"If I am being honest and truthful, then the answer to your question is no, Jack Rikkison." the voice replied. After it finished speaking, there was a shimmer behind the two Keybladers, and in another moment, the red cloaked figure of Dawnomar stood before them.

"Who're you?" Rayne asked cautiously, but Jack stepped in front of her as insurance.

"Is it a good or bad thing that I'm not at all surprised to find you wandering the mortal realm, old man?" he asked. Dawnomar smiled as he leaned on his staff and took a few steps forward.

"I suppose it all varies upon the circumstances for which I make my presence known, young Rikkison. But today I come bearing you a message from my superior, and nothing beyond the entirety of that." he cryptically answered. Jack slowly nodded as he and Rayne continued staring at him.

"And what if you don't like my answer?" he replied. Dawnomar casually held up a hand and gently ran it along the stone wall of the staircase.

"Then I suppose my superior will simply be forced to live with your answer. But then again, perhaps you do not wish to kindle the anger of the Supreme Council of Ancients, like your brother Marek has so unwisely done. I am no executioner, and I am no reaper, but know this: my fellows who sit on the Council are not as….interested by the humans as myself. They will not show you near the same leniency and mercy that I have. Your brother ignored their summons no matter what I tried to say to him. For both his sake, and for yours, I suggest you come with me to meet with the Supreme Eight." he calmly explained. Jack exhaled, narrowing his eyes cautiously at the other man that he was clearly acquainted with.

"Do you swear that no harm will come to my family if I come with you?" he asked. Dawnomar stared at him for a long moment, and nodded.

"I swear that on this day, no harm shall come to the Rikkisons by the hand of the Council." he promised. Jack sighed and looked back at Rayne.

"While I'm gone, do whatever you can to find your uncle. He thinks he can do whatever he thinks he needs to do on his own, but he will need help along the way. I have no clue how long I'll be gone, but I need to know that someone will still look for him and have good intent should they find him." he told her. She nodded instantly.

"Of course, Dad. You know I will." she promised. He smiled, and gently touched her cheek.

"I love you, my little girl." he told her. She just smiled at him.

"I'm not so little anymore, Dad." she told him softly. He nodded, and turned back to Dawnomar.

"Well, let's go." he told him. Before Dawnomar could nod, they heard another voice.

"You're not going alone, Jack." Sora said firmly as he walked down the staircase, already in his armor.

"You heard it all?" Jack asked him. Sora nodded and walked up to them while Rayne passed him, heading up to the Study. "Well then, let's go, Cousin." Jack said as they both looked at Dawnomar, who looked toward the ceiling and glowed brightly. In a sudden flash of light, there was nothing left but a trail of smoke where they had just been.

JASON'S TOWER, STUDY…

Rayne sighed as she walked into the study/communications room. The only ones inside were Jason and Lea. The older of the two was sitting at his desk, quill in hand and writing something on a long line of paper. Lea was leaning against a wall staring out the window, an idle flame in his outstretched hand as he toyed with it.

"How is the search going, Rayne?" Jason asked her without looking up. Lea looked over at her and closed his fist, dissolving the little ball of flame.

"You should know better than most of us that if Marek doesn't want to be found, he won't be." she replied with a small amount of attitude. This caused him to glance up at her.

"We must find him. According to Riku, there has been a sizeable increase in darkness near the edges of the realm. It's safe to assume that Darkness is piecing itself back together in another attempt to wage his war with Light. Riku pointed out something that has been crossing my mind constantly. Marek has harbored Darkness itself for almost his entire life. Do you think that your uncle will just let Darkness be? He is going to seek it out and try to destroy it. He can't do this alone, especially with how unstable he is. We have to bring him back here where he can get help." he explained to her.

"And what about Light? Have we seen anything suspicious on that topic?" she countered. Jason nodded and looked down at the paper he had been writing on.

"Light is the only one of the three that somehow always remains intact. I believe that he is seeking another host, and long ago, the Ancients sentenced our family to that fate. So it can be expected that Light will be seeking my wayward son just like Darkness. Do you understand why it's so important to bring him here now?" he told her as he leaned back with a sigh.

"Let's not forget about Corruption, either." Lea put in, walking up to them. Jason silently nodded and went back to writing on his paper. Rayne just shook her head in disbelief at her grandfather's behavior. Lea motioned to her, causing her to notice him motion his head toward the door. He walked out into the stairway, her following behind him. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who's picked up on old man Rikkison's weird behavior." he muttered.

"You're not. Dad and I have both noticed, too. It seems like he and Riku are so obsessed with finding Marek right now that they don't care about anything else. Everyone else is just always on missions and everything. Otherwise they would have noticed." she assured him as they began walking down the stairs. He just sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm not so sure. There's a lot of people in the LE that haven't exactly been acting like themselves. Riku's the most obvious besides Jason, but I've noticed Ven, Roxas, and a few others who've been acting kinda differently." he replied. She shrugged her shoulders.

By the time they got to the entrance to the tower, they had picked up a third companion. Kairi had also noticed the change in certain members of the LE. "I don't know what it is. It could be nothing, but I just can't get this feeling out of my head that the Divine Beings are influencing our every move. Darkness is rising again, and who knows what Light and Corruption are up to." she told them. Rayne and Lea nodded.

"I just think that right now, Marek should be the least of our concerns, unless he has answers that we don't. Jack and Sora aren't here, and who knows when they'll be back. Until then, it's up to us. I don't know who else we can trust, even inside the LE itself." Lea told them, and both women nodded in agreement with him.

"Well, Terra and Aqua have known my dad longer than anyone. If Dad were here, he would ask us to trust them. But we just don't know anything at this point. We still know so little about Corruption, and how it moves around. Until we know more, we can't really do anything except stall the search for Marek." Rayne told them as they walked outside.

"But where would we find any answers about one three of the universe's most vague topics?" Lea asked her. Rayne stopped and thought for a moment as she placed her helmet on her head.

"Well, right now there are only two options that I can think of: we can either try to track down Marek to see what he knows, or we can go to Radiant Garden and see if we can find anything in the Grand Library. We're just in the dark right now, and we don't have any options. Even our list of allies is running short. We just discovered all those new worlds right out of our usual routes, so we need to start checking some of them out. Especially since that space bridge to our five strongest allies disappeared." Rayne told them.

"I still don't know how we'd be able to fend off a war between Light and Darkness without any of our allies from Gaia, Spira, Baron, Camelot, or Nottingham. I still just can't believe they're all gone." Lea muttered quietly, crossing his arms and looking at the ground. Kairi put a hand on his shoulder.

"We've lost the ability to keep in contact with some of our most loyal friends, but there are six new worlds that Terra discovered just last week, and maybe even more. He said he wasn't sure exactly how many." she tried to comfort him. He nodded, but they all felt the same way.

"Well, I'm going to see what I can find in Radiant Garden's library. Kairi, I think you should go to one of the new worlds and see what things are like there. Lea, I'm not going to give you a direct place to go to, but places like the Crossroads and the Keyblade Graveyard, places that hold significance to Marek, might be a good bet to search for him. For now, until we know who we can trust, it's up to the three of us. We have to find out what Light and Corruption are up to. Hopefully when my Dad and Sora get back, they'll have some more information on these Ancients." she explained to them. Lea and Kairi nodded, both summoning different portals.

"Meet up in Twilight Town in twelve hours with whatever you guys find. If I'm not there by then, it's because I've found clues about where Marek is." Lea told them as he donned his helm. The armor clad women nodded to him as all three of them summoned their riders. Almost simultaneously, they all vanished through them. Unbeknownst to them, Jason was standing near the window, and had watched them depart.

MEANWHILE, LANES BETWEEN….

Marek was cloaked in darkness as he soared across the Lanes, having finally picked up a fragment of a trail from his target. The bounty hunter never left very much in his wake, but Marek was one of the best trackers in the universe. His years as the vessel of Darkness had made him so attuned to his senses that it seemed almost superhuman. **(Dark Harbor, Two Steps from Hell)**

It was because of this that he knew to swerve to the side right before something hit him. He flipped through the air and saw what had come at him. It looked to be a short black bladed sword. A moment later, a blinding blur sped past him with an outstretched arm and caught it. Marek instantly recognized him and instantly slowed to a stop, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I hear you've been lookin' for me, old friend! I just knew you'd be smart enough to track me, so I laid a trap for you!" the figure yelled, unfurling his cloak behind him. He slowly reached down and placed his short sword back in its sheath at his side, allowing his red, black, and white armor show. He wore a visor that covered his eyes, but allowed every other part of his face to show. He had black hair that came close to his shoulders, and he wore spiked gauntlets and boots.

"I've been looking for you, Eclipse! You've got some answers that I want, and you're gonna give them to me!" Marek yelled to him, reverting his Keyblade to blade form and using his darkness to hover in the air. Eclipse smirked as he placed a hand on his chin, as if in deep thought.

"Sorry, Mary, but if I spilled the beans to you, then my client wouldn't be very happy. You can't have whatever you want just because you want it. That's not how it works! You'll just have to accept it! Anyway, I've got a meeting to attend! I probably won't be seeing you around, old sport!" he yelled with an evil grin as he flipped around in the air and sped off through the Lanes. As Marek attempted to follow him, Eclipse flipped around and threw something back in his direction. Suddenly, heavy smoke covered everywhere Marek could see, stunning him for several moments.

By the time he found his way out of the smoke, his target was already gone. But, he had a good place where his old rival might be heading.

**I am SOOOOOOO sorry for the incredibly long absence I've been off! It honestly was not my fault. I just haven't had time with all the school work I've had. I'm off this week so hopefully I can get at least one more chapter out soon! I hope you still liked the chapter and forgive me if it wasn't my best. I haven't been in the best headspace lately! **


	5. Ch 5: Solitary Meeting

**Well here I am again! I'm trying to write this week since I'm off. Shout outs: **

**The Unknowing Herald: Well I'm sure you knew Jack would. Next chapter, bro! And then to MGS!**

**Shadowdragon1317: Possibly. I'm not saying a word, haha. I honestly never thought about that, but I will say no since he's not a pureblood Rikkison and he's not directly descended from Naithyk, who made the deal. **

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Very much so! Lea will be seen more in this story than in my past ones. I never meant to neglect him, but you know. Each of the LE members will have decent screen time. I just have trouble writing for Xion for some reason. Think of Eclipse as a mix between Xigbar and Monsoon and you've pretty much got his character down. **

**Celeron96: Of course not! If I had, I would have said something. School just really sucks. Michael the Archangel, you got it right bud. **

**13TheAce: Well you'll just have to wait and find out on that point, my friend! **

**Izumi Natsuno: I did my very best! Thank you! **

**Lucenthia: Well that's a good thing! Dawnomar came from an element of time that we all know(Dawn) and I gave the name an ending that fits those of the Ancients' Council. Each name except for Maechil's ends in "ar". **

**Legionary Prime: Thank you for understanding, man. **

**Well Celeron was the only one to guess right about Maechil! Shout out to you Celeron since you said you didn't want a reward. Have I done a disclaimer yet? I only own…a good majority of things, haha! I own all the Rikkisons, the Council of Ancients, Eclipse, and the Three Divine Beings. Oh and I also own the Crossroads, the world seen in this chapter! Anything else that I missed? **

**Here's chapter 5! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Solitary Meeting

Marek sighed and shook his head as he realized where Eclipse was heading. "Just where I wanted to spend my afternoon….." he muttered as he dismissed his rider. He fell down a few feet before opening a portal beneath him and falling into it.

As he opened it back up in the world, he took a slow step out, wary and alert. He hated being in this world. It was so full of deception and illusions. He calmly gathered his black cloak around him and walked down the dirt path that led straight to the center of the field.

As he continued walking, he felt the familiar sensation of voices speaking inside his head, trying to draw memories long forgotten up to the surface of his already turbulent consciousness. He hated it, but it was how this world worked. The Crossroads, though long ago they had been a blessed and prosperous world, were cursed and dead, thanks to the tainted pact that Naithyk Rikkison had entered with the Ancients about the X-blade. It still infuriated him that he had ancestors so selfish that they would forever doom their descendants to be vessels of Light and the destruction it brings.

He had only been a boy when he learned himself of the truth behind his lineage. That knowledge alone had been a small part of why he sought out the darkness. But even then, things never worked out for him. Only a child, and still manipulated by Xehanort, Dawnomar, and those so-called "righteous" Ancient fools.

"_Why flee from the hunters? It is obvious that you are superior above them all. Even your weak brother can't stand before you. Why shun yourself and live in exile when you could rule the universe single handed?" _a voice whispered inside him. He shook his head, fighting the strong urge to listen.

"I don't have time for you. Get out of my head, Corruption." he said loudly and angrily.

"_Why send me away, tormented Rikkison? I am your chance at power? Together, we could be unstoppable!" _Corruption replied. Marek just laughed.

"_No! He has merged with me since he was but a child! He will be mine forever!" _Darkness came into the conversation. Marek stopped walking and groaned in pain. He clutched his head as he felt the two ethereal beings battling within his mind.

"I am no one's pawn! I am no longer…..a slave to somebody else's will! I conquered you….Darkness! I am my own man, and I belong to no one else! So get out of my head!" he screamed. Darkness and Corruption battled on however. Marek could feel the pain echoing through his mind, and it put him on his knees, no longer having the strength to stand.

"_This Rikkison is mine, and he always will be!" _Darkness yelled angrily. Corruption growled and pressed against his opponent. Marek pressed his hands against his head so hard he thought his skull was going to crack, but it didn't help. The two beings raged on inside him, and it wasn't until he heard footsteps walk up to him and stop that he noticed anything around him.

"Well, well, Mary. I never thought you'd be one to let ghosts get inside your head. But here you are." Eclipse smirked as he grinded one boot in the dirt. Marek managed to look up at him with hate in his eyes, but a moment later the bounty hunter swung his other leg back and kicked him in the face. The white haired Rikkison groaned as he fell onto his back. Instantly, he felt his rage flare up to a maximum, and he felt Corruption and Darkness fall back to the smaller parts of his mind.

"You don't know how long I've been hunting you. You should have stayed hidden!" he yelled as he leaped onto his feet, his Keyblade appearing in his hand instantly. As he reared back to swing his blade, Eclipse back flipped to the other side of the clearing. He landed in a crouch and drew his twin black swords. He grinned widely as he slowly looked up at Marek and the two combatants readied to fight. **(Stains of Time{either version}, Metal Gear Rising)**

Marek charged furiously, sliding onto his back and kicking his leg in a wide semi circle. Eclipse back stepped and drove one of his swords into the ground, stopping Marek's kick. The white haired Rikkison snarled as he found his feet and lunged forward. Darkness appeared around his fist as he threw it forward. Eclipse smirked as he ducked and drove a powerful kick into his midsection. Marek stumbled back a few feet and looked up just in time to block another kick with one of his gauntlets.

Eclipse frowned and back flipped in mid air, landing a few feet away. Marek roared and slammed his darkness clad fist into the ground, sending a wave of chaotic rocks and ground up in his opponent's direction. The bounty hunter ran a hand over one of his swords, charging it with electricity. He then threw it right at the earthquake coming at him and leaped high into the air.

As the earthquake collided with the electrified sword and shattered, Marek twirled his blade and gathered energy around it. He looked around for his opponent, seeing him suspended in the air. Eclipse smirked as his remaining sword twirled over his head.

"Let the skies darken! Let the moon reign down! Howl before us, Rikkison!" he yelled happily. Marek furiously shook his head, knowing what was happening. He stepped backward as pieces of ground that he had just been standing on began to fly up into the air and surround his floating opponent. "Meteors of hell, gather around me! Crush the traitor!" Eclipse yelled as he grabbed hold of his sword and pointed it at Marek.

Instantly, the meteors began shooting downward, straight toward him. Marek twirled his blade and gathered in more energy before slowly bringing it right in front of him in a ready position. As the first wave came close to him, he swung in a broad arc, instantly vaporizing them. At the same time, the built up energy was released and flew straight toward Eclipse. The bounty hunter reached toward the sky as a sphere of energy appeared around him, blocking the blow from his opponent. At the same time, Marek was slashing his Keyblade so fast that it was a blur. No meteors had made it to him, and as the last one came at him, he spun around and kicked it hard, sending it back to its caster. Eclipse threw his sword at it and destroyed it before letting himself fall down to the ground. He casually picked his swords back up and held them out to Marek, who just now noticed what Eclipse had done.

As he looked up, he could feel the skies darken. He saw the moon appear out of nowhere even though the sun was shining brightly. He watched as the moon eclipsed the sun, and there was only mirrored light in the world now. As he looked back at Eclipse, he saw his opponent suddenly erupt with a blue aura. "Now let me start trying, old friend!" he yelled happily. He threw something at the ground, and Marek groaned as purple fog appeared all over the place. Before he could even move, he felt a presence behind him and turned just in time to get a slice across his midsection. Instantly, he felt another strike against his back. He was hit three….four…five times. Eclipse was blindingly fast, and coupled with the dense fog, Marek couldn't see anything.

He turned his blade around and roared as he furiously stabbed it into the ground, sending a massive shockwave out all around him. He heard Eclipse groan and smirked, knowing he had a few moments. He encased his blade in darkness and swung it in vertical circles blindingly fast. The fog instantly began sucking in to the vortex created by Marek, and in a matter of moments it was gone.

Now able to see the battlefield, he looked straight ahead of him to see Eclipse, still covered in his blue aura. He looked down to see his cloak in tatters and rags. He reached down and threw off what was left, allowing his brand new armor to show. Eclipse stopped momentarily to look at it and smirked. "Oh, I see now! Darkness' vessel trying to gird himself with Light! Why are you still trying, Marek?! You can't run from destiny!" he yelled. Marek shook his head.

"I don't care about destiny! I walk my own path! What do you care about it?!" he yelled back as he threw his blade to the ground and flexed his fists. "I've just about had enough of you and your damn mouth!" he roared as he reared back, engulfing himself in an aura of darkness and unleashing a wave of black energy. Eclipse spun his swords blindingly fast, gathering blue energy, and threw them at the oncoming wave. Both watched and prepared for the collision, and as they connected, a massive cloud of smoke appeared along with a deafening explosion. **(end Stains of Time)**

As the smoke cleared, both combatants looked out to see a hooded figure standing completely in the middle of the clearing. "Who are you?" Marek calmly demanded, still glowing with darkness. Eclipse sighed and sheathed his swords. His blue aura faded, and instantly the moon began to disappear overhead, allowing the sun to shine down again. The figure chose to ignore Marek's question and looked at Eclipse.

"I see you have failed your contract after all, bounty hunter. I did not think you would be able to defeat this Rikkison. Even when he is as weak as he is now." he spoke.

"What are you talking about?!" Marek demanded, taking a step toward him. Instantly, the figure held up a hand and sent him flying off his feet. Marek groaned in surprise as he quickly back flipped to land on his feet.

"I wasn't just going to up and kill him, you know. He's on old sparring partner of mine, and I wanted to have a little fun first." Eclipse replied, absent mindedly kicking the ground.

"Sparring partner? You killed….!" Marek began, but the figure turned to him this time.

"I do not wish you dead, son of darkness. Not yet. So hold your tongue and do not interrupt while your betters are talking." he told him dangerously. Marek laughed confidently.

"I don't know or care who you are. But if you're the one behind everything that's going on, then you should know I'm not gonna let you stand in my way. This is my path and my road that I have CHOSEN to take. No one is gonna stand in my way, not even this idiot." he said, gesturing to Eclipse.

"You would be wise not to dismiss threats like mine so freely, mortal. You have lived a harsh life, no doubt. But even that is nothing compared to what is to come. Not even this pitiful LE can stand against me and my plans. You have all grown fat and lazy. You have all sat in quiet and unearned peace for too long. I am here to put a stop to it all. Any insects who stand in my way will be crushed." he replied. Marek opened his mouth to speak, but again was cut off. "Enough. I tire of this. Eclipse, you know what to do." the hooded man said calmly. Eclipse nodded.

"I captured the girl. She was wondering around Denerim like a lost puppy. She stuck out like a whore in church, so it wasn't hard to find her." he replied. The figure nodded.

"Good. Now I must return to whence I came. Our plans continue as scheduled." he muttered. He raised his arms, and in a flash of smoke, was gone.

"Well, I wish I could stay to hash out old memories, bud, but I got work to do! See you around! Oh by the way, if you want her back, you'll have to go to the LE and tell them we have her!" he announced. Before Marek could say anything, the bounty hunter threw another smoke bomb to the ground and covered the area in order to disappear.

By the time Marek walked out of the wall of fog, he was alone. Or so he thought.

He began to see dark shapes moving along the ground. He stopped in completely shock, and only when they rose to the surface were his thoughts confirmed. "It can't be….." he muttered while raising his Keyblade. Heartless were surrounding him. Heartless that hadn't been seen in almost five whole years. "Of all the times for this crap to happen….." he began as he cut a Heartless out of the air after it lunged for him. "You idiots sure picked a damn wrong time to come back! Why is everything going to hell?!" he yelled angrily. He covered his blade in ice and twirled it around his body, sending waves of ice in all directions and freezing them all solid.

He stopped and thought for a minute. "Those Le bastards aren't gonna know a thing unless I tell em. But there's no friggin way I'm going back to that stupid tower. If Jack finds me, then awesome. If not, they can figure it out for themselves." he decided. He sighed as he thought about everything that had happened today, and decided he just needed to see new sights. He opened a portal and decided to let it take him to the nearest world.

_Next time with Marek on Beyond the Dark Veil:_

"_War…..has changed."_

"_What kind of name is Snake?" _

"_What kinda hell name is Marek? Sarcasm can only get you so far, kid." _

"_My war seems to always stay the same." _

"_Then why did you tell me you've been fighting your entire life, and it's changed how you look at everything?" _

"…_..you may be right for once, old man."_

**Well it was a pretty average length chapter for my standards, but I hope I impressed! So you get to see a little of Eclipse's personality and power, so I hope you like what you see so far! He's definitely one of my favorite OCs that I've created, so I hope a lot of you grow to like him! Well that little snippet at the end is the next world Marek goes to, and I'm sure almost all of you can guess it! But for next chapter, we still go to a world we haven't seen before, Kingdom Hearts itself, home of the Council of Ancients! I hope you're ready for it!**


	6. Ch 6: The Golden City

**Hey, guys. Well, it was great being off but of course I'm back in school again. Anyway, shout outs: **

**Legionary Prime: Thank you! And yes, more specifically MGS4. **

**Gohan Roxas: Very good guess, my friend! Nah, I'll explain that in a minute. **

**Celeron96: No. We went to Kirkwall for one chapter in NPNW, AKA Dragon Age 2. In here, we will see Dragon Age Origins as a world, and Denerim will be seen a lot of. You think so? He didn't crash, but you will learn some of the circumstances surrounding his revival. No you do not! **

**Lucenthia: Well, thanks. I have to say he's one of my favorite of my own OCs, after Marek and Jack. When you see more of him, I think you'll like him a bit more. I'm writing him in a way like the makers of Justified did Boyd Crowder, meaning he's "the most likeable villain you'll ever see." Other than Marek, of course! He's Marek's old rival, and they're both similar and different in a lot of ways. **

**13TheAce: Well, he had cause to say Marek was weak, that's all I'm gonna say, haha! **

**MEleeSmasher: Well I'll put it like this, and please don't think I'm being rude because I'm not: did you read RTDoD and/or NPNW? I don't stick with Disney and Final Fantasy. That's why Merlin and Robin Hood have been featured before. I will use two of the six Star Wars episodes in here, but I'm not using Marvel(sorry Twilight!). I have a pretty good list of new worlds that I think most everyone will like.**

**Shadowdragon1317: Haha, well he definitely is! I never thought that the character I simply thought of as "Illusion" would ever grow to be my most popular character to date. I never thought any of my OCs would get more popular than Jack, but I was wrong twice over through Marek and Pierce! **

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: You've never played Dragon Age Origins? Man, Twilight you're missing out! Haha, well that world will come next chapter, I promise! **

**The Unknowing Herald: Haha, well it's probably got good reason! No, he isn't. Eclipse is just a paid employee. I'm keeping my lips sealed on that! **

**SorasApprenticeNumberOne: Well as you see it's much more than a room. Well you're partly right. I took inspiration from both Saix and Xigbar, along with Monsoon from MG Rising, and put them together with my own little twist to make the bounty hunter you know as Eclipse. He's much more powerful than you realize. **

**Alright, well there's two things I want to address:**

**1. For those who don't know, Lucenthia has been writing a spinoff to the Wanderer's Series(namely the Trilogy and NPNW). If you haven't checked it out, please do! There's even a link on my profile leading to it under the My Stories section. Also, yes I will be using Metal Gear Solid 4 in this story. In her story, she is using Rising, but her story is a thousand years after the events of the WS. So I will just say that time flows differently in some of these new worlds, much like Camelot in NPNW. **

**2. As you know, I first wrote the trilogy(IDoD, WC, and RTDoD). After I finished RTDoD, I released Picking Up the Pieces, a one shot happening fifteen years after the trilogy. From there, I released NPNW, which most of you are aware of what happened. Some of you say "well we know none of them die, since they were all there in NPNW." I will say this. Due to circumstances that will be revealed later on(most likely in United We Stand), the events of Picking Up the Pieces and NPNW are NOT canon to these final two stories in the series. I promise there is a reason for it, and right now I'll just say all the meddling caused by Lorans and the Keybladers tore the universe into two separate dimensions. So while those events technically still occurred and some characters still remember those stories, this and United We Stand will not ever reach the point in time of NPNW. It may sound confusing now, but it will make sense in the end, I promise. **

**Alright, well I'll stop talking your ear off. As long as you know what I own, you can move on and enjoy the chapter. I hope you're ready to see the very first glimpse of the land known as Kingdom Hearts in all history! **

Chapter 6: The Golden City

When Jack and Sora could feel their surroundings again, neither one could see any of their surroundings. It didn't matter if Jack opened his eyes or not, the effect was the same. "Do you think that old guy tricked us?" Sora asked from somewhere to his right.

"Dawnomar! Finally led us to our deaths? You should know better than to think darkness can hold me!" Jack calmly called out. In reply, he heard nothing but the returning echo of his own voice.

"You need not project your voice loud enough for every creature hiding in the dark to notice our presence." they heard the old raspy voice mutter from somewhere nearby. A bright light suddenly shown in front of them, seemingly hanging in the air like a tiny sun. The two Keybladers held their blades ready as they slowly walked toward the light. When they got within a few feet of it, they realized the light was coming from the end of Dawnomar's staff, and the old man was leaning against it like he normally was.

"Where did you disappear too?" Sora asked him, not unkindly. Dawnomar turned and began to walk away from them, making them follow the light of his staff.

"I merely chose to move forward to alert the Council of your impending arrival. Come, it is not far from here." he told them quietly. Jack sighed as he followed after him.

"This is the Dark Realm. How do you even know where you're going?" he asked their guide. He heard the hooded man laugh quietly.

"There are a great many things that you mortals have yet to comprehend and discover. It would only waste time to try to explain them all." he replied simply. Jack glanced at Sora, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Why do you keep calling us mortals? Are you not human?" he asked cautiously. Barely after the question left his lips, Dawnomar came to a stop and held his staff in both hands, staring intently at some unseen force ahead of them.

"I suggest girding yourself in the bearings of light while I open the door. A human, however exceptional, cannot withstand the opening blast, the city's first and greatest defense." he told them. Jack and Sora nodded and immediately summoned their helmets to their heads, completing the LE armor set.

Dawnomar stretched out his staff and drew some sort of circle on the sandy ground in front of them. He reached up a little ways and firmly placed it into the center of the fresh circle.

**(Atlantis, TSFH)**

Suddenly, the circle flooded with light, and in another moment a broad and tall door appeared in their path. It was a brilliant white, and it seemed to glow with purity. Dawnomar took a step forward, and instantly the doors began to open. He placed the butt of his staff firmly on the ground and waited. Just as he had explained, purest light came pouring out of the door. This same light had once incinerated one Seeker of Darkness who was not prepared for it. Jack and Sora felt it connect to their armor and it almost knocked them off their feet.

Only with their greatest effort could they retain their balance. Jack managed to look ahead of him and see Dawnomar, his red cloak billowing violently around him as he calmly walked into the blinding light that was the door's opening. He managed to glance at Sora, who looked at him and nodded. They both began to move forward, small step by small step. By the time they were close to the doors, Jack heard a deafening crack come from his midsection and looked down, only to see his chest plate split down the middle from the force of the light. With a few last desperate steps, he and Sora managed to step inside.

Instantly, the punishing blast of light ceased. They stood upright again and saw Dawnomar waiting for them. But instead of walking to their guide, Jack stopped and looked around in awe.

This was it, the fabled land of legend, Kingdom Hearts. But the legends never told of its true beauty. Before the three of them stood a city surpassing all of the others combined. In every direction it stretched, seeming to have no boundaries and no limits. Every single part of the city was made of fine glowing crystal. The buildings were mostly white, while some faded down into a calm green.

He turned to see Sora looking around just as wide-eyed as he was. He then looked over to Dawnomar, who was motioning them to follow him. He quickly nudged Sora and began to follow him.

There were countless people throughout the bustling city, but every one of them suspiciously turned and avoided the two humans whenever they saw them. This intrigued the two Keybladers, but something else quickly caught their attention.

Standing in the center of the city was a magnificent castle, made of the same crystal as the rest of the city, but it glowed with blinding elegance and grace. Every crystal was golden colored, and it seemed to mirror the very color of the sun in the sky. "I take it that's where we're heading?" Jack asked. Dawnomar stopped and turned to him.

"Indeed, young Rikkison. The castle of the Ancient Council." he replied calmly. **(end Atlantis)**

KINGDOM HEARTS, CASTLE OF THE ANCIENT COUNCIL…

Dawnomar swiftly led them through countless hallways and rooms, seemingly heading for the center of the castle. It was outside two intricate yet massive doors that they met a wall of guards. "Council Member 05, Dawnomar, you and your subjects are cleared to enter the Sacred Hall." the guard standing at the front of the pack said respectfully. Dawnomar nodded to him, causing all of them to bow respectfully and separate, opening the doors at the same time. The old man glanced at the two Keybladers and walked into the room. They quickly followed him.

The room they were now in had a ceiling that reached up several hundred feet above their heads, but other than that, there was nothing spectacular about the room. In front of where they stood was a long raised table set into a semi circle. Each seat was occupied except for the one on the very end, which Dawnomar then sat in. Jack looked at Sora with a cautious face, and his cousin nodded to him, indicating that he was staying at the ready. They looked up at the table, and at the eight "people", if they even were people, sitting behind it. On the end was Dawnomar, but next to him was a young looking man with slicked back hair and an arrogant look. To his right sat a young woman with a sly and subtle face about her. Beside her was a large gruff looking man with several scars on his face. On the far end of the table was an older looking woman with dark blue hair, but styled differently than Aqua's. Next to her was an old man with white hair and a calm face. Next to him sat a middle aged looking man with jet black hair, and he had a contemptuous glare in his eyes. In the direct middle on a higher platform sat one man. He had golden blonde hair and he looked no older than the human equivalent of thirty, but his eyes foretold a different age. He wore golden armor with intricate designs all over it, and it was clear that he was their leader.

The leader stood up with a calm smile and cleared his throat. "Welcome, Jack Rikkison. Welcome Sora, a lesser descendant of Naithyk." he said calmly.

"Why have you summoned us to this sacred place?" Jack asked him immediately. The man looked at him in confusion.

"Is it not a human custom to welcome one another to their homes? Is it not also a human custom to exchange names and greetings?" he asked. Jack eyed him warily, and chose his words carefully.

"You know my name. I take yours is an important one?" he replied. The man smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, young one. I am the leader of the Council of Ancients, and by extension, this entire realm, the realm who created the one you dwell in. My name is Maechil Omnivion, but I suppose Maechil shall do. I lead this sacred city, and its wise council." he greeted.

"So why are there eight of you instead of one?" Sora asked. Maechil patiently turned to him.

"I do not sustain this realm, and yours on my own. It requires each of our powers to maintain the precious balance of the universe. But everything you see in both our worlds is only possible through the individuals who sit before you." he explained. And thus he began introducing his fellows. The younger looking man was a man of physical prowess named Adenar. he managed the construction of the entire city. The sly looking woman was a master of illusions named Kunomar. She took care of all the entertainment in the city. The gruff man full of scars was named Saenatar. The old white haired man was named Maynaimar. The blue haired woman was a master of water named Tsunetar. Then there was Dawnomar, and the black haired man was named Anetar. He stayed quiet for the most part through the entire thing.

"What was the reason you called us here for?" Jack finally asked after Maechil was finished introducing everyone. Maechil leaned back in his chair as Tsunetar cleared her throat. She was obviously the second in command.

"We speak to you on the subject of this bounty hunter, Eclipse. You in this Keyblade organization have pushed this threat off to the side in favor of hunting the wayward Rikkison. This bounty hunter risks tearing open the cords that bind the universe together. He must be stopped at all costs. Your leaders seem to be ignorant in more than one way." she told him in an impatient tone.

"Well I don't know hardly anything about Eclipse. He's got something to do with Marek's past. You chose the wrong Rikkison to bring here." Jack explained to them.

"The Council knows all, you ignorant fool!" Saenatar roared suddenly, leaping to his feet and hefting a huge battleaxe onto his shoulder. He was evidently full of rage and hate for the humans for whatever reason.

"Saenatar, sit down." Maechil commanded calmly, but firmly. The gruff man reluctantly placed his axe back down on the floor behind him and sat down, glaring death at both Keybladers.

"I went to him first, Jack. He refused to meet with us. He said he will write his own destiny, and will not let any of us try to force him down a path that's not his own." Dawnomar calmly explained to him. Jack sighed, but couldn't help but smile a little.

"That sounds like Marek, sure enough. so what you're saying is, you need me to deal with Eclipse and find Marek?" he asked. Maechil nodded.

"This task has always been intended for your brother, but should he refuse or be unfit to fulfill this task, then the burden falls to you, vessel of Light." he told him. Jack laughed quietly and shook his head.

"I'm not a vessel of Light any longer. That being has no hold over me anymore." he told the Ancient firmly. Maechil shook his head.

"Mortal, you have never yet been a true vessel of Light. But it is your destiny. You and Light shall be one. The conflict between Light and Darkness has existed for eons, and it shall continue on. You shall lead the forces of Light in the next generation. But be warned: while Corruption and the other wage another war, one close to you shall be forever lost to the darkness, with no hope of return. My advice to you, is this: there are four lost temples scattered across the realm of mortals. Seek out the temple of Light, and uncover the secrets long buried within. The temples of Darkness and Corruption fell not long after the catastrophe that you humans call the First Keyblade War. The remaining two temples survived long after. Finally, only the temple of Light remained, but it too was lost almost five hundred years. Seek out the temple, and only then will you know the path that destiny has laid before you." he advised. Jack stared at him for a long moment, trying to digest everything the leader of the Ancients had just told him.

"We have said what was intended, mortal. Now leave our presence. Return to your own doomed realm. Try to save whatever you can. Only a Rikkison can save your realm, but two shall be lost in the endeavor. Now begone." the woman known as Kunomar told them. Dawnomar then stood up to show them back to their own realm.

SOME TIME LATER, LANES BETWEEN…

"Did you even follow all that?" Sora asked as they flew through the Lanes. Jack shook his head.

"I'm a vessel of Light. Only a Rikkison can save our universe. Two Rikkisons shall be lost in the endeavor. Eclipse is tearing apart the cords of the universe. Marek must be found. We don't have any answers, Sora. All we have is more questions." he replied, heavy in thought.

"That's not what's bothering me the most, though." Sora commented.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, looking over at him.

"What Maechil said about these temples. They're obviously for some sort of worshippers of the Divine Beings, right? He listed them by name, the temples of Light, Darkness, and Corruption. But what I don't understand…..he specifically said there were FOUR temples, and he offered no explanation as to what the fourth one was. What does all this mean?" Sora explained as they came within sight of Jason's Tower. Jack sighed.

"Whatever is going on, we can't keep this stupid Marek hunt up. We need all our resources trying to find Eclipse and these lost temples. Let's talk to Jason right when we get back." he decided. Sora nodded, and they both prepared to land.

**Alright, well I'm honestly not sure how this chapter went. Was it okay? I know there was a lot of information, but I hope it's got your mind working and I hope you liked my version of the "true Kingdom Hearts"! Plus, there's a new poll on my profile! **


	7. Ch 7: Den of Snakes

**So between having writer's block, school, and now basketball starting up, my time writing is less than ever before. Sorry, guys. But anyway, here are the shout outs, less than we've had the whole story but here they are! **

**Shadowdragon1317: Haha nice! And well, we'll see! **

**SorasApprenticeNumberOne: Me too! Actually no it wasn't at all. Well that's because he's not. He might be a little gullible, but he definitely isn't dumb. Well, we all know how Light and Jack are by now, haha. **

**Celeron96: Ha well that's a very good guess but my lips are staying sealed about the fourth temple right now! And well I'll just say that THAT was done on purpose ;) It's no mistake if you remember NPNW.**

**13TheAce: Ha, well I'm always trying to think of ways to surpass my past ideas and I came up with that one back in NPNW! I'm glad it worked! Well yeah you know that's a given, right? Haha. **

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: You weren't? Then good, haha! Thanks, and yeah I understand! **

**Lucenthia: Ha, I never have problems with names. They just come to me. Well I emphasized the important part so I was satisfied. Thanks! **

**The Unknowing Herald: That is so weird. I've never even watched someone play Warcraft. Well, I don't wanna spoil anything right now. **

**Well you know what I own by now, I hope. Again, I'm SO sorry for taking this long to get it out. I promise I will not stop writing this story! Even if I take a month to update, I haven't given up, I promise! But here's the first part of the MGS4 world! I hope you enjoy! **

Chapter 7: Den of Snakes

Before even entering the atmosphere of this new world, Marek could instantly tell that it was different. He knew that this place was nothing like Gaia, or even Baron. He felt the air change as he descended into the sky. He had smelt it before, but it was distant, as if in a far gone memory. But whatever it was, he knew it didn't bode well. He narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward and flew faster.

The landscape beneath him was very inconsistent. At certain spots, there were trees so thick that he couldn't see the ground. But at other spots, there was no sign of life at all. He kept flying, and had been in the sky for several minutes before he spotted anything that could have been Eclipse.

As he flew over a plain covered in trees, he could see soldiers doing battle fiercely. He watched many of them withstand injuries that would have easily killed normal humans, and it fascinated him that they held their ground. He looked ahead and could see a large warehouse in the distance, and most of the fighting was centered there.

Trying to decide the best course of action, he hovered for a moment to think. Some of the soldiers below him caught sight of him and instantly aimed up at him. He realized just in time that they were gonna shoot him out of the sky. With a furious grunt, he back flipped off his rider right before it exploded and flexed his hand. He landed in a dark portal head first and teleported down to where the soldiers were.

Before they could even turn to look around them, a portal opened up underneath their commander's feet and sucked him inside. Within another second, Marek leaped out of the ground behind them with fire in his eyes. The three remaining soldiers turned to him and charged, clearly not knowing who they were messing with. Marek side-stepped the first one, tripping him and knocking him to the ground. Before the second one could reach him, he leaped forward, wrapping his hands around the man's throat and snapping it easily. Marek looked at the third one, who was backing away in fear. But as he turned to run, the white haired man reached into his cloak and took a dagger. In one fluid motion, he threw it swiftly, and it hit its target in the back of his head.

Marek quickly walked up and pulled his dagger out and turned to the one survivor, who was lying on the ground in fear. "Please…." he moaned as the Keyblader walked up to him. He walked up and put his boot on the man's arm.

"I'm hunting a mercenary known as Eclipse, and I know he's here. So tell me where he is now." he told his prisoner venomously. He could feel his anger boiling within him, and something long held within was rising to the surface.

"I've never heard of Eclipse, I swear!" the man screamed. Marek glared at him and stomped hard on the man's arm. Instantly, he began to scream in pain. "I swear I don't know anything about him! I work for Ocelot, not Eclipse! Go talk to the boss!" he screamed. Marek stared at him angrily for a moment and leaned down toward him, putting all his weight on the man's broken arm.

"If there's anything suspicious when I go meet your boss, I'm coming back." he warned. The man gulped and nodded quickly. Satisfied, Marek took his boot off the man's arm and turned to walk away, but that was when he felt a dangerous presence.

Before he could raise his dagger and call his Keyblade to his hand, he heard the click of some sort of firearm. "Freeze!" a somewhat raspy voice yelled firmly. Marek relaxed his arms and held them up.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked calmly as he slowly turned to look at the man facing him with a gun. The man seemed slightly hunched over, and he had a green hood that covered his face and shoulders.

"Save it! I said freeze!" the man warned him. He looked feeble enough, Marek supposed. He closed his eyes and gathered energy around his hand.

"If you say so…." he muttered. A moment later, he threw his hand forward and sent a dark blizzard spell at his new opponent. Before the man could react, Marek dropped into the ground through a portal and came back up a few feet behind him. The man quickly gunned the spell down with his unusual firearm, and sensed Marek coming from behind him. The Keyblader ran up behind him twirling his darkness-clad Keyblade and slammed it into the ground where the man was. But before it hit the ground, the man rushed to the side and rolled away, his hood flying off in the process.

As Marek raised his weapons, the man completely his roll and slowly looked up at him, exhaling slowly. **(Old Snake, Metal Gear Solid 4) **

Marek took a step back as he saw his opponent's face. The man had white hair that wasn't very long, and as he looked up at him, he saw the man's aged face. A clean white mustache bordered his top lip, and he wore a blue headband. "Why am I fighting an old man?" Marek asked himself out loud. The man smiled slightly and stood up, his finger still on the trigger of his firearm.

"Old hounds still have bites, kid. Remember that." he told him simply as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small container. He opened it up and reached inside, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Marek kept his blades raised, but could tell that this man wasn't a force of malevolence.

"Great, another geezer who gives useless advice. Just what I need in my life." he muttered. The man chuckled quietly and walked over to the man that Marek had wounded.

"I'm not going to pretend I've never tortured a man, but you're going about it the wrong way." he told him, bending down near the cowering man. "Tell us what you know, now." he demanded calmly. The man shook his head.

"I'll say nothing to a terrorist like you." he spat. The man sighed and held up a syringe. The man gulped as his eyes filled with fear. "The boss has the girl holed up in the warehouse at the center of the battle. But you'll never get there. He's got his pet guarding the whole area." he said quickly. The old man nodded and slowly put the syringe away.

"Next time, don't sign a death contract if you're not willing to die for your cause." he advised. The man nodded, and the old man instantly punched him hard enough to knock him out. He then stood up and looked over at Marek. **(end Old Snake)**

"Well?" Marek asked him, finally lowering his blades. The old man shrugged his shoulders.

"That's how you interrogate someone. So you got a name, kid?" he asked as he reloaded his weapon. Marek stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide whether to trust someone he didn't even know.

"I'm Marek Rikkison." he finally answered, albeit begrudgingly. The old man smirked.

"Well even in a rundown place like this, we've heard that name. But I don't care what you did. I only care about why you're here now." he replied. Marek turned away and stared into the forest.

"I'm looking for someone. A killer for hire who calls himself Eclipse. I've got personal reasons for wanting him dead." he explained slowly.

"Hm. Well if he's here, he'll be working with Liquid. If we work together, we might stand a better chance of getting inside the compound." the old man told him as he stepped toward the forest and looked around to make sure there was no one around.

"Well I gave you my name. Give me one in return before I decide whether or not I can trust you." Marek told him as he looked at his surroundings too. The old man nodded.

"Snake. That's what they call me. Now let's get moving." he told him simply as they began walking through the forest. Marek couldn't help but smirk arrogantly. "What?" Snake asked him after seeing his face.

"What kind of name is Snake?" he asked. Snake rolled his eyes and bent down to the ground, disarming a trip wire right in front of them.

"Well, what kind of hell name is Marek? Was your dad wasted or something at the naming ceremony?" he retorted. Marek shrugged his shoulders.

"That'd be the least of his failures as a parent." he muttered absentmindedly. If Snake heard the comment, he didn't show it. "So how are you still moving around like a soldier when you're kinda ancient?" he couldn't help but ask. Snake sighed.

"I'm not actually this old. Due to….complicated reasons concerning my birth, I have accelerated aging. This getup I'm wearing doubles as a camo and a muscle suit, so I can still get around. I'm most likely one of the world's best agents, so I'll be doing this until I eventually just drop." he explained.

"Accelerated aging huh? My niece would have a field day talking to you….." Marek muttered as they continued to sneak their way toward the warehouse in the distance.

OUTER HEAVEN, LIQUID'S WAREHOUSE….

After having swam through a river and a sewer vent to avoid the main army(on Snake's advice), the two unlikely allies had infiltrated the warehouse. But inside was no less gruesome than outside. Through the first door they opened, they could see blood streaks all along the walls and floor. Countless bodies lay all over the place, and this Naomi woman that Snake was looking for was nowhere to be seen. "Trap?" Marek muttered calmly. Snake grunted and slowly walked inside, pulling out a pistol in one hand a combat knife in the other.

Suddenly, a figure dropped to the ground. It was a man, wearing nothing but a pair of ripped combat pants. He had long black hair, and he was very vampiric looking. "More lambs to the slaughter?" he asked hungrily.

"Vamp!" Snake spat angrily, raising his gun and shooting. The man called Vamp leaped up into the rafters to avoid the shot and disappeared. All they could hear was his echoing laughter coming from everywhere. "Marek!" Snake yelled. Before Snake had even finished yelling, Marek had felt the attack coming. He whirled around, blocking Vamp's knife slash with his Keyblade and driving his dagger into the man's stomach. He smirked, but his smile faltered as Vamp pushed him away and tore the bloody dagger out of his own stomach.

Both Marek and Snake watched in disgust as Vamp raised the blade to his lips and licked it clean of the blood. Vamp suddenly threw the dagger back at Marek, who batted it away with his Keyblade and slammed his fist into the ground. The whole warehouse shook as a chaotic dark wave shot toward Vamp, whose eyes widened at the power of this newcomer. He leaped out of the way and snarled from the rafters. "A snake and an otherworld dog. Boss will want to hear about this." he muttered angrily. His mere shadow flickered, and he was gone.

"Marek, this world has never seen whatever you just used back there. I don't think it can take whatever it was." Snake said as soon as Vamp was gone. Marek looked at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Snake sighed.

"This world can't take that kind of energy. It's never seen its like before." he explained.

"No, I heard what you said. But what do you mean by saying that this world has never seen the Divine Beings? Because I can sense Corruption all over the place, and I have since I got here. I think Eclipse is using Corruption with this Liquid or Ocelot or whoever he is, and he's trying to take this world for his own." Marek told him. Snake raised an eyebrow at him.

"Divine Beings?" he began, but suddenly he looked away and pressed something on his ear. "Otacon, I know that was Vamp. Did you find anything else about this Rikkison?" he asked.

"I'm right here." Marek told him irritably, crossing his arms. Snake glanced at him uncaringly and kept talking.

"Where is Naomi?" he asked. This time Marek could hear a voice on the other end.

"_It looks like Vamp or this Eclipse guy have taken her to the market. Drebin's on his way to take you there. He called me a few minutes ago and insisted I give him your coordinates. Snake, the market is surrounded by Geckos. You'll never get past them to Naomi on your own." _this Otacon said. Snake motioned to Marek to follow him outside.

"I'm not alone, Otacon. I've got an….. 'ally' with me. Marek's with me. Together, we should be able to get to her." he replied.

"_Even you and Marek might not be enough, Snake. But I'm almost sure that there's someone else heading to the market, same as you. And he seems to be following your trail." _Otacon replied.

"Damn it, Otacon, quit waiting for the moment of suspense and tell me." Snake growled irritably.

"_Right, right. Snake, we thought we'd lost him, but he's back. And he's…..changed. I'm going to have to tell Sunny about it. But he's here to help you, Snake." _Otacon said. Snake sighed and shut off his ear piece.

"Raiden…" he muttered.

No sooner had they stepped outside the warehouse than what looked like a tank on six wheels came driving up to them. Marek could see the words "Eye Have You" embellished onto the side of it, and wondered what kind of person…..

The hatch opened, and a dark skinned man with white hair climbed out with a smirk. "Yo, Snake! Need a lift, my friend?" he greeted just a little too suavely. Snake grumbled as he and Marek walked toward the vehicle.

"Just drive, Drebin." he replied.

"Eclipse better where Naomi is. I've wasted enough time already." Marek murmured angrily to himself. Snake turned and looked at him.

"Kid, what are you truly fighting for? Revenge, some twisted form of justice, self acceptance?" he asked. Marek sighed and thought about what he had been asked.

"I just….I've been fighting my entire life. I've seen more battlefields than anyone I know. That has changed how I see everything. I don't care what people think of me. But I will have vengeance. Eclipse will have his reckoning." he replied. Snake sighed.

"War…..has changed. It always changes, like a tempest surrounding an ocean." he told him slowly.

"Pff." Marek muttered as he turned and kicked a rock away from his feet. "My war seems to always stay the same." Snake shook his head.

"Then why did you just tell me that you've fought for your entire life, and that it's changed how you see everything?" he asked with a slight smile.

Marek looked up at him, his green eyes flashing as if a storm was going on behind them. "You may be right, old man. Whatever ends lies at the end of this road, I have chosen to walk it. Eclipse will meet my blade. I will have my vengeance. But first, this battlefield must be cleansed. The Divine Beings can't gain a foothold in any world. I don't give a damn what the LE thinks about me. I control my own destiny, and I'm at your side to stop this threat. Let's go meet up with this Raiden." he said confidently. Snake laughed quietly as they walked up to Drebin's vehicle and readied to go after Vamp, Eclipse, Naomi, and whoever else was waiting in the market.

**Well I'm not sure about this chapter. Honestly, I had writer's block for two weeks about it, so if you don't like how it turned out, there's not much I can do. I didn't know how to handle Snake all that well, so if he seems OOC, cut me some slack. I at least tried to make his dialogue sound like him. I also didn't want Marek immediately trusting him because he's MAREK. He'll have allies in some of the worlds, I just hope I can keep him as good a character as he was in NPNW. Anyway, let me know what you thought, regardless of whether it was good or not. Your thoughts on the world determine how much time we'll spend here. Alright, well I'm signing off for the night. Later guys. **


	8. Ch 8: Raiden

**Well, I heard mostly good things about the world so there will be a second trip to Outer Heaven, after all! This trip is only two chapters to keep up with the timeline I wrote for myself but I promise, we will be back! We'll be doing a lot of world traveling in this story so be ready to jump back and forth between worlds. Anyway, shout outs! **

**Lucenthia: Ha, I find it hard TO imagine them in their armor! But the main Rikkisons will have armor soon, I promise. MGR is awesome, but the Solid series is better, even I will admit that. What MGR lacks in story, the MGS series lacks in hack and slash. But it's just personal preference. I like both. **

**The Unknowing Herald: Thanks. **

**SorasApprenticeNumberOne: Haha, it's fine! Okay good, because I was worried! And that was a spur of the moment thing! **

**Celeron96: Well thanks! Huh, and awesome! **

**Shadowdragon1317: He definitely does! But Old Snake is pretty hard to write for if I'm being honest. Harder than Solid anyway. Haha, so they're reading this too?**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: You should see more of it! My favorites are MGS3 and MGS4. I never got to play the original MGS, sadly. Haha, good! I did make sure to use worlds where Marek would have a fitting companion, Snake for example. He'll have others in the worlds we're going to. **

**13TheAce: Ha, more like bring out the swords! You'll see what I mean by the end of the chapter. RAIDEN! **

**Legionary Prime: Ha, well if that's true then I feel honored! **

**Well now I get to write my absolute favorite scene from MGS4 with my own personal twist! But you'll see what it is right here, so I'll just let you read it! You know what I own, and I'm not getting any kind of payment for my work here, just pure enjoyment of writing and interacting with you awesome people! **

Chapter Eight: Raiden

Drebin's armored tank vehicle proved very effective at clearing blockades in their path. Marek had wondered what these "Gecko" things Otacon had mentioned were, and he didn't have to wait long to find out. They had just pulled out of the compound when he had heard the eerie cow mooing sounds.

Drebin himself was a dark skinned man with white hair. He had a scar across the side of his head, but he was suave in his own right, and drove like a professional. "Snake, you and your boy need to get up on the roof and get those things off the road!" he yelled as the mooing sounds grew closer.

"I ain't….!" Marek began, but Snake pushed past him and reached up to the ceiling of the vehicle, opening a hatch and climbing up top. The Rikkison sighed as he followed him up top. There was a mounted mini gun facing the front of the vehicle, and Snake quickly mounted it.

"Make sure none of em sneak up behind us, Mark." he ordered calmly.

"It's MAREK. Ugh, whatever. You're too senile to remember anyway." Marek sighed as he turned around to face behind them and summoned his black Keyblade. He looked up as he heard the mooing again, and suddenly something leaped over the hills next to them and landed in the road. Despite it making sounds like a cow, it was nothing of the sort. The Geckos were extremely tough biped robots, and from how Snake was acting, they were big threats.

He heard the mini gun go off and knew Snake had engaged those in front. He just smirked as he charged his Keyblade with electricity and quickly pointed it at the Gecko in front of him. Instantly, a jet of darkness infused lightning shot out and felled it in one hit. Marek looked up to see more coming in. "Drebin, get us out of here now!" Snake yelled.

"I'm trying! You gotta get em out of my way first!" Drebin yelled from the driver's seat. Snake glanced back at Marek.

"Marek, take the front! You can take them down quicker. I'll guard the back!" he yelled, turning the mini gun around. Marek nodded and ran to the front of the moving vehicle. He heard a moo come from above and looked up to see a Gecko jumping down, aiming to land right on top of them. He quickly leaped up and swung upward, expecting his Keyblade to slice right through the armored robot's head. He was shocked when his blade bounced off with a clang. Instantly he felt pain shoot up his arm. Before he could do anything else, the Gecko shot out some sort of cord from its head that latched onto him. Marek barely had time to look up before it yanked him up into the air.

He let out a groan as he went flying past the robot and soared up into the sky. He could still see the Gecko descending toward Drebin's tank and saw Snake busy shooting down three other Geckos. He cursed as he flexed his hand, letting himself fall into a dark portal.

Snake gunned down one Gecko and started aiming at the other two. But that was when he saw the one from above coming down on him. Before he could pick up his own gun, a portal opened right in front of him, to his complete astonishment. Marek furiously flew out and flipped through the air, letting his whole body charge with dark power as he soared toward the persistent robot. He roared angrily as he channeled it all into his blade and once again swung at the head. The Gecko was allowed one more "moo" before the dark blade sliced its head and body completely in half. Marek immediately let go of his Keyblade and grabbed onto the two parts of the Gecko. He flew up into the air, his entire body covered in darkness and whirled around to face the two Gecko still chasing the tank. He spun in a circle and threw both halves of the robot, sending them flying down toward the other pursuers. The robot fragments connected with the other two, sending them flying off their feet and also off the bridge they were now passing.

It was then that Marek became painfully aware of the voice in his head. _"You think you have left it all behind. Of course not. You love the power, MY power. You crave it because it makes you dangerous, and that is what you need to be! Don't you see yet, Rikkison? You will never be accepted anywhere. I am all you have." _Darkness whispered in his ear. Marek groaned as he idly floated in the air, feeling Darkness struggle against his inner defenses, yearning to take control.

"I've left you behind! I'm no mere vessel any longer! You gave me nothing but possession, Illusion! Illusion, Darkness, whatever those damn Ancient idiots call you, it's all the same! I don't care what the Council said about you! You will not control me!" he angrily argued, clutching his head. Darkness smirked as he pressed his advantage.

"_You still yearn to step away from your brother's shadow. You will NEVER separate yourself from what you could have been, should have been. Jack was never meant to be who he is. You are the first born of Jason. It was always meant to be you, but you were too weak to take control, and you still are." _he taunted. Marek repulsed, exploding with energy.

"Screw you! I am not weak, and I'm not giving in to you again! Just because I was tricked by that pawn Xehanort when I was a child, does not mean that I will give in to you!" he yelled, soaring back down toward the still moving tank.

"_You were not tricked by that petty fool, Marek. You only believed what you wanted to hear." _Darkness told him firmly, allowing himself to be submerged back into the dark depths of Marek's heart. His head clear and the voice of Darkness once again silent, the white haired Rikkison landed on top of Drebin's vehicle and glanced at Snake. The old man stared at him for several seconds, as if considering whether to ask questions or not.

"Nope, I don't even want to know." he decided, opening the hatch back up and lowering himself back inside. Marek sighed, completely furious with himself for letting Darkness gain a foothold in his mind once again.

"_Will I never be free of him?" _he asked himself as he followed Snake inside.

"Drebin, where is Naomi?" Snake asked as Marek shut the hatch and sat down. Drebin looked up at his computer for a second as he made a sharp turn.

"That creep Vamp's taking her to the market. We're almost there….." he trailed off. Snake sighed and sat down, popping a cigarette in his mouth as he waited for what was to come.

MARKETPLACE…..

As Drebin rounded the final turn into the market, he met a wall of Geckos. "WOAH!" he screamed as he drove through half a dozen of them. Snake and Marek quickly held on to whatever they could grab hold of as Drebin lost control and the vehicle toppled onto its side, skidding several more feet before finally stopping.

Drebin kicked one of the doors open and stepped outside, coughing. Snake and Marek climbed out of the other side, and the three of them turned to the street to see no less than two dozen Geckos coming their way. "I take it that's not good…." Marek muttered.

"Great time for sarcasm, kid." Snake muttered as Drebin sighed and leaned against his car. It was then that Snake noticed something on top of a building to his left. "Look." he said, pointing to the rooftop.

Standing on the roof was a slim but built figure wearing a long brown coat. He had a weird looking visor on, and two black coverings on his eyes. He glanced back at them, and that was when Snake knew who he was, and gasped at the difference from when he had last seen him. "Raiden….." he whispered. **(White Blood extended, Metal Gear Solid 4) **

The man Snake called Raiden glanced back at the three, and looked back at the Geckos down in front of him. He held up a long thin sword, and then placed it behind him as he leaped off the building and landed softly down on the street, directly in the Geckos' path. He stood up and held his blade out at the ready.

At the same time, Snake heard a voice yell his name. "Snake!" it was female. A woman came running around the corner, and Snake and Marek turned to see Vamp glaring at them from across the square. But his interest in Raiden held him in place.

"Naomi!" Snake yelled as he ran to her. Drebin turned to Marek and smirked.

"Have fun, kid." he told him as he stepped back inside his vehicle and disappeared, showing no concern.

"Otacon has the helicopter landing on the other side of the market. We'll get you there." Snake told the woman named Naomi as they ran back up to Marek, who glanced over at Raiden, who was still staring at the Geckos patiently.

"I'm gonna stay and back him up. He might need help." he told them. Snake laughed quietly.

"Well, he looks different. Hopefully he can handle himself better than when I last fought alongside him. But fine, we'll meet you in the air." he told him. Marek nodded, and the two went running off in the other direction. He looked down another street to see even more Geckos coming from another direction, so he readied to fight them.

The Geckos finally noticed Raiden, and charged. The silent man waited, and when one finally ran up and threw a powerful kick toward him, he finally moved. Darting forward so fast that his coat flew off, he rolled underneath the outstretched leg and came up in front of another Gecko. He leaped on top of its head and drove his sword deep into the robotic head and twisted it around. As it began to fall, he leaped off and cut off another's leg as he landed. The Geckos quickly surrounded him, but Raiden was prepared. He threw his sword into the air and flipped over so he was standing on his hands. Catching his sword in his right foot and extending it outward, he moved his hands so fast that he became a blur, spinning in a circle while cutting insanely fast all around him. Within seconds, all the Geckos closest to him fell to the ground with no legs. Raiden quickly righted himself and drew his dagger, holding it in his left hand. He began a savage assault of the remaining Geckos wielding blades in both hands. As he felled three more, he whirled around, only for one to shoot out a cord and stick it in his shoulder. It reared back, trying to pull the man off his feet, but Raiden's body was unique. He had a tough exoskeleton that was white colored, and he seemed to be literally built for combat. He used this extra amount of strength to grab hold of the cord and tug hard, bringing the Gecko off its feet. He instantly twirled it around, sending the robot flying into one of its comrades and knocking them both into a building that collapsed on top of them.

As he turned to the final three, he dashed forward, slicing three times. Instantly, the remaining robots fell, and he landed on the ground in a calm roll and stood up. He turned back to the direction that Snake had disappeared to, and his visor opened up, revealing his hair, face, and eyes. He had white hair and brown eyes, but his entire lower jaw was prosthetic and transparent. "Snake…..it's my turn to protect you." he whispered in determination. At the same time, Marek finished fighting and turned to the cyborg ninja in mild surprise at his fighting ability. **(end White Blood) **

MEANWHILE…..

Snake and Naomi hurried to the helicopter that was sitting in a clearing on the other side of the market. Otacon, a tall thin man with brown hair and glasses, was in the pilot's seat waiting for them to board. "Where's Raiden?" he asked as they climbed inside.

"Still fighting. So is Marek. We're going back for them." he told his friend. Otacon nodded.

"Got it." he replied. He quickly set the helicopter on course for the center of the market. He then reached for the radio and set it for the frequency that Snake gave him. "Can anyone read me?" he asked.

There was static for several seconds, but finally a buzzy voice came through. _"Otacon, this is Marek. We're pinned down. I'm surrounded by Gecko and they've got Raiden. Vamp has him trapped by Gecko and he's torturing him. I'm getting to him, but I won't make it in time." _he said. Otacon looked back at Snake, who nodded and picked up a sniper rifle.

"Just be ready to back him up once we get him free." Snake told him.

"_Yeah yeah, old man. Easy for you to say, from your comfy chair in the…." _Marek began to reply, but Snake deliberately shut off the radio with a smirk.

CENTER OF THE MARKET…

While Marek tried to fight his way through three dozen Gecko, which were coincidentally resistant to magical and Keyblade attacks, Raiden was stranded in the dead center of the market. Countless cords bound his hands and legs in place, all connected to Gecko. The long haired killer known as Vamp glided through the sea of Gecko toward his captive and stopped in front of him with a hungry gasp. He smiled evilly as he calmly drew a large knife from a sheath on his belt and walked toward Raiden. He unhesitatingly drove it into Raiden's right side of his chest. The cyborg gasped from the pain, but didn't cry out. He just looked back at Vamp and glared at him. Vamp smiled as he pulled his knife out and licked it clean of the blood. He then turned back and stabbed Raiden again, dragging the blade across the chest plate of his exoskeleton and once again driving the blade into his chest. Raiden still didn't cry out, shocking him. "You too, immortal?" Vamp asked him hopefully. Raiden laughed darkly and kept glaring at him.

"No. I just don't fear death." he replied. The helicopter flew over at that moment, and Snake aimed carefully, shooting the cord binding Raiden's right arm. Immediately, the cyborg pulled his sword out of its sheath and swung toward Vamp, who back flipped. But Raiden was quick enough to cut off a chunk of his hair. Raiden immediately cut the cord off his other arm and dropped to the ground. He began to spin again, dragging the two Geckos binding his feet and making them fly around him in a circle as he began to spin faster and faster. Finally, he leaped up into the air and cut the cords, sending them flying back into their fellows. As the rest of the Geckos closed in on him along with Vamp, Raiden back stepped when a shot of dark lightning knocked several back. He looked over to see Marek, who he didn't know, leap past him and take on the Geckos, leaving him to fight Vamp.

**(White Blood continued, Metal Gear Solid 4)**

As Marek unleashed his powers of darkness on the nigh impenetrable robots, Raiden charged Vamp, who smirked at him. The cyborg ninja took the first swing, but Vamp blocked it with his knife. Raiden quickly followed up with a drop shot to the legs, but his opponent leaped up and landed on top of him, striking him in the chest repeatedly with his spiked boots. Raiden groaned as Vamp jumped off of him and drew half a dozen throwing knives. He threw them at Raiden as he charged, who managed to block three of them. The other three sunk into his chest, but he showed no signs of injury. He twirled his sword and threw it straight at Vamp's face, but he moved his head to the side so impossibly that his neck cracked sickeningly. Raiden drew his dagger and charged at Vamp as his body blew the daggers out of his chest. Vamp spun around him and sunk another knife into Raiden's foot. The cyborg used this to his advantage and leaped into the air.

He landed on Vamp's standing body and stomped his knife embedded foot onto his chest. He then used his other foot to push the knife all the way into his chest. He then back flipped over to his sword and picked it back up. Vamp smirked as he reached up and pushed the knife further inside himself, letting the blade pierce all the way through to his back, and took it out of his back and placed it in its holder. Raiden yelled angrily as he charged, spinning repeatedly and vertically as he neared Vamp, who back flipped away. Raiden then leaped up into the air and came down spinning. He landed on the hilt of his sword, narrowly missing Vamp, who kicked the sword and knocked Raiden away. He hit a wall and fell onto his back with a groan. As he stood up, both had had enough. They both charged and sunk their blades into the other's stomach. **(end White Blood)**

As Marek finished off the last Gecko with a wave of darkness, he turned to see Vamp step back from Raiden. He licked his knife one more time, placed it in its sheath, and smirked as he fell onto his back. Raiden twirled his sword, wiping the blood off of it and placing it in its sheath. Both turned and looked each other up and down, but then they heard more mooing. "Raiden, Marek!" Snake yelled from above them. The helicopter had circled back around. Raiden wasted no time in leaping up on top of the building and from there, leaping to the chopper, but Marek had heard another voice.

"Getting upstaged by a normal human? C'mon, Mary, I thought you were at least better than THAT!" the voice said. Marek glared furiously as he turned toward the voice.

"Eclipse!" he yelled, now seeing the man step out of the shadows.

"The one and only!" Eclipse greeted him with a smirk, casually resting his hands on the hilts of his twin blades.

"We've got a score to settle, you inhumane prick!" Marek yelled at him as he called his Keyblade to his hand and drew his dagger. Eclipse stepped back and put a hand on his chest.

"Ouch. Somebody's angry with little old me, isn't he? Well Mary, if you wanna have a real conversation, let me know. Or if you wanna rehash some of our old contracts together, you can look me up in Traverse Town. That's where I'm headed. But if you want me, you better leave now. You know how impolite it is to keep your old friends waiting." he replied calmly. He smirked as he turned and summoned a unique looking portal. Instead of dark or light looking, it had a gray aura to it, and who knew what lay inside it. Eclipse stopped and gave Marek one last glance. "Boss said you weren't worth the trouble, that you're still too weak to pose a threat. But you're a Rikkison, ain't ya? None of them are weak, at least as far as I know. I guess this will finally prove the boss right or wrong. Come find me, Mary. You know you want to…." he taunted, giving his rival one last smirk before backing into his portal. Marek glared at him in pure hate.

"ECLIPSE!" he roared, yelling for the portal.

"_Marek!"_ he heard Snake yell into his earpiece. Marek shook his head and ran for the closing portal.

"Get out of here, Snake. I have to go. But I will be back. First, I have to make Eclipse meet my vengeance." he told him, and Snake heard the venom and hatred in his voice. But before he could reply, Marek ripped the earpiece out of his ear and dove into the portal, eyes burning with turbulent hatred.

NEXT TIME ON BEYOND THE DARK VEIL…

"_Marek, what are you doing? What's gotten into you?_

"_Don't pretend to understand. We may be brothers, but you know nothing about me._

"_Marek, don't shut me out! We can stop him together!" _

"_Jack, I will never be able to stand at your side. It's my destiny to stumble in darkness forever. I will never escape the shadow of you and the rest of YOUR family."_

"_They are your family too, Marek! Destiny is what we choose to make it, and no one else can tell you how to live your life! Let me help you!"_

"_Well, well, what have we here? A touching family reunion, eh? Two of you versus little old me? This just doesn't seem fair, now does it?" _

"_Shut your damn mouth, Eclipse, while you still have enough teeth to talk!" _

**Well, I did cut the world short in order to stay with my timeline, but I promise we will be back. Now, we move on to Traverse Town, for an epic fight and a family reunion. I hope you enjoyed, and I promise to get the next chapter out ASAP! Peace out, my amazing friends! **


	9. Ch 9: Brothers in Arms

**Well, between basketball starting, school cracking down, and me getting AC4, I have regrettably pushed fanfiction farther and farther back, so I'm sorry. But shout outs!**

**Shadowdragon1317: Hey, that just might help! Haha I'm sure!**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Haha don't worry there will be, along with some Raiden in there too! **

**Celeron96: If he does, I don't know and it doesn't really ever close up on his eyes except when they're red, so I don't care, haha. Eclipse is a threat all his own, and not together per say, but they've met before. **

**Lucenthia: Haha, thanks! And well the timeline itself will become clear soon so there you go. **

**The Unknowing Herald: I'm sure, haha. I wasn't sure how it would go at first, but it turned out good! This story is gonna be fifty chapters, but it's gonna be pretty long. **

**SorasApprenticeNumberOne: Haha, thanks! And yeah I've got some pretty twisted stuff coming up about our least favorite old geezer! **

**13TheAce: It's at Traverse Town, but I really can't answer that! It's usually Radiant Garden! **

**Well you know what I own. This is a pretty action packed chapter so I hope you enjoy it! I always enjoy showcasing Marek's flashy fighting style and his brutality. But sometimes it's best to balance it with someone who's calmer but almost better than him….**

**Enjoy everyone! **

Chapter 9: Brothers in Arms

JASON'S TOWER, STUDY…..

"What do you mean, you won't call off the search?!" Jack demanded angrily. Jason calmly stared back at him and Sora.

"Marek must be brought to justice for what he's done to the worlds. No human or court system can rightly judge true justice. He must be put through a trial to prove his redemption. We voted, Jack, and he is too dangerous to be left to wander the worlds." He replied calmly. Riku stood at his side, arms crossed. Sora shook his head and looked at his best friend.

"Riku, you can't agree with this!" he exclaimed angrily.

"You know what he's done and what he could still do, Sora. Don't you want to protect Kairi? We have to protect the worlds, not the will of one man." Riku calmly argued, not budging in his opinion. Jack glared furiously at the both of them and turned toward the door.

"Well until some sense enters that stubborn head of yours, Jason, I'm leaving the LE. When you call of the search, call for me and Mist in the Islands. I'll be there with my five year old son." He all but yelled to his father as he stormed out. Sora stared at the two for another second before following his friend.

By the time they reached the base of the castle, Lea and Rayne were waiting for them. "What's going on with Jason?" Lea asked, but Jack shook his head.

"Not here. Follow me, and I'll explain everything." He told them, walking outside and summoning his rider. They silently followed him, and together they all flew into the Lanes.

THE LANES BETWEEN….

"Jason and Riku have gone insane. I don't know what they're trying to prove, but they're gonna get us all killed. There is something sinister at work against us, more than Maechil would reveal, but we have to stay on course. Let Marek take care of himself, we have work to do." Jack told them. Sora nodded.

"I'll go talk to Mickey and see where he stands. He's still a powerful ally, Jack. Maybe he'll have some advice to give us." He proposed. Jack nodded.

"Good. I'll meet up with you later then. Good luck, Sora." He told him. Sora nodded and veered away from them, disappearing in seconds. Jack then turned his helmeted face to Lea. "Lea, I need you to go across the worlds and look for any information you can dig up on Eclipse and what his plans are. I don't think he's the one running things, so see what you can find." He told him. Lea nodded.

"You got it, boss man." He muttered sarcastically. He raised his hand in a mock salute and flew away, leaving Jack alone with his daughter. Rayne looked at him worriedly.

"Rayne, what is it?" he asked her, noticing she was worried about something.

"It's Kairi. Me and Lea were working with her like you told me to do. I sent her to Denerim, but we lost contact with her after she landed. Don't tell Sora, but I still haven't been able to find her." She explained to him as they continued flying. Jack digested this information for several moments before slowly speaking.

"This can't be coincidental. I'll see what I can find. I have another task I need you to do." He told her worriedly. She nodded.

"What do you need me to do, Dad?" she asked him eagerly. Ever since she had joined the LE, she had felt like she was being babied. She wasn't about to let this chance to prove herself go. She had been ready for years now.

"Well, you know I don't like to put you in harm's way, especially since we can't be sure about what happened to the X-blade back in the Graveyard." Jack started off worriedly, but his daughter quickly cut him off.

"Dad, I'm ready. You always try to hold me back, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I've been ready. I'm ready to fight and to prove myself. I am your daughter, after all." She scolded him. He sighed before slowly nodding.

"I know, Rayne, but you'll always be my little girl. Even when you're not my youngest anymore. But like I was saying, Sora and I just went on this….visit with Dawnomar. He took us to the city of the Ancients and we went before the Council, their leaders. Maechil, the top gun, told me about these Temples dedicated the Divine Beings. What I need you to do is something that I can't trust anyone else with. I need you to search for the Temple of Light. Light is the Divine Being we know the most about, so anything in the temple could help us. In time, I'll look for the other temples but right now this one takes precedence. I'm entrusting this mission to you because I trust you above all others. Both of us have seen what's going on in the LE right now. I'm still not sure exactly what's happening, but it's definitely something sinister. Jason and Riku aren't in their right minds. Something is invading their minds, either from without or within. I trust you, so can you do this, Rayne?" he asked her. As he had begun talking, he seemed hesitant to ask, but as he continued his words just flowed, and it reminded Rayne of how powerful her father was with both his blade and his words.

"Of course I can do this. I will prove myself to you, Dad. I can do this, you'll see!" she told him eagerly. Before he could say another word, she darted off into the cosmos. He sighed as he shook his head.

"You don't have to prove yourself to me. I already think the world of you." He whispered to himself. Suddenly, he slowed to a stop in the middle of the Lanes and closed his eyes. He knew he still held a large amount of Light within him, and he guessed that his brother still held some degree of Darkness inside of him. He had found out in the Third Keyblade War that the Divine Beings could sense each other, so he tried reaching out to Marek. "Where are you, Brother…?" he whispered as his thoughts raced across the universe.

After several moments of silence, he had learned that Marek had just spent some time in Outer Heaven, one of the uncharted worlds the LE hadn't gotten to yet. But then, he learned what had to be close to his brother's current location. Opening his eyes, he leaned forward again and set course for that world.

SOME TIME LATER, TRAVERSE TOWN….

Marek stumbled out of the portal with a groan and quickly looked around him, holding his Keyblade and dagger at the ready. He lowered them somewhat, seeing familiar surroundings. He walked out into the center of the First District, where he had so many memories of. Instantly, countless memories flooded his vision, swimming back and forth and overlapping each other. _"Get….out….of my head!" he moaned in pain as he lurched forward, clutching his head so hard he felt like his skull was going to burst. Illusions began to appear before him, surging from memories he had long tried to keep forgotten. _

_The first walked toward him, leaving a phantom trail in his wake. His golden eyes stared at the Rikkison as hungrily as they always had, and he chuckled with his old grizzled voice. "What troubles you now, my first and failed apprentice? Does the sight of your savior and mentor strike fear into your soul and fill you with an icy grip of terror? I saved you, and yet you turned on me anyway. I always planned to unite the worlds, with you by my side every step of the way. It was your own choice that sent you into exile." Xehanort taunted him. Marek looked up and glared death, dropping his Keyblade but raising his dagger. _

"_Shut up! You're not even alive, you old geezer! You're DEAD, so stay there and get away from me! I'm past you, and you hold no grip on me anymore!" he screamed, swinging his dagger straight through Xehanort's phantom. The phantom gasped and instantly vanished, but instantly was replaced with another one. _

_Jason slowly walked toward him. "What pride could I have in a son who embraced the darkness and became a kinslayer? How could I ever forget your treachery? You are weak, my son, and you always will be." He calmly stated. Marek shook his head. _

"_Like I give a damn what YOU think! You're a failure of a father who never wanted to be there to raise your sons! Don't even talk to me about who the weak one is, JASON!" he yelled spitefully. Jason vanished, to be replaced by Eclipse this time. _

"_Aww, what's the matter, Mary? Is someone a little upset? Guess what: you should be. And the funny thing is, you have no one to blame but yourself. Blame me for the past all you want, but it was you and your decisions that caused your life to crumble and slip through your fingers. You've doomed yourself, and you will never get off the path you are walking on." He stated tauntingly. Marek straightened up, furious beyond measure now. _

"_Shut up, Eclipse! You only chose to be against me because Kalanna chose me over you! You were never able to move on from that! You may be an assassin with a colorful past, but don't even try to think you've got something over me. I've weathered these storms my entire life, and I'll get through this one too!" he screamed. With that, the phantom of Eclipse nodded and faded. _

_Marek's vision was beginning to clear up now, but he couldn't tell dreams from reality. Then, Jack came into view and slowly approached him. "Marek…? Are you alright…?" his brother's voice echoed all around him. Marek slowly looked up at him and shook his head. _

"_You're not real….." he whispered. _

"_What?" he heard Jack ask in surprise. "Marek, it's me, Jack, your brother. Wake up!" he pleaded. Marek blinked slowly, and stepped backward as the real world came back into view._

"What was that about?" Jack asked him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Memories I thought I'd left behind me." He answered simply. Jack nodded in understanding.

"We all have our demons. Marek, I've been looking all over for you. I met with Maechil and the Council. They sent me to find you and Eclipse." He told him. Marek slowly looked at him, and that was when the voice he was looking for shouted.

"Well, you didn't have to search far, Rikkison!" Eclipse announced as he appeared on a rooftop nearby them. Both brothers instantly turned and stared at him, readying their weapons. "Ah, both of the brothers! The harbinger of Light and the wanderer of Darkness! It seems it's a fate cursed on the Rikkisons to be wanderers, but hey, it's not my place to judge. I'm just the reaper, and I'm here to collect!" he yelled out to them. Marek shook his head furiously.

"Shut your damn mouth, Eclipse, while you still have enough teeth to talk!" he yelled. Eclipse smirked and slowly reached back, drawing his twin blades and holding them ready.

"I still say the boss is wrong about you. But maybe with your brother at your side, you'll provide some entertainment!" he yelled.

"Eclipse!" Jack began. But Eclipse leaped up into the air, reaching behind him and throwing a smoke grenade down toward them, where it exploded and covered everything in smoke.

"Time to see the brothers in arms fight for their lives against the universe's greatest assassin!" they heard him yell as they got back to back and prepared to face him. **(The Stains of Time, Metal Gear Rising) **

Before either of them could move, Eclipse lunged through the smoke toward Marek. The white haired Rikkison twirled his Keyblade and readied to block, but Jack leaped past him and kicked Eclipse backwards, sending him hurling back into the smoke. He glared at him for interfering and charged his Keyblade, surging it with darkness. He whirled it around and slammed it into the ground, sending out a chaotic shockwave all around him. He heard Eclipse groan from behind him and quickly spun around, dashing forward before even spotting him.

The bounty hunter saw him coming and held his swords at the ready. Marek swung his dagger forward and felt it lock against one of the blades before plunging his Keyblade straight toward his opponent. Eclipse side-stepped and knocked the blade out of Marek's hand. He smirked before throwing a punch with his left hand that connected to Marek's jaw and sent him flying onto his back. "Going soft, Rikkison?" the assassin taunted as he walked toward him. Marek quickly jumped to his feet and charged his fist with electricity, but at the same moment, Jack leaped out of the smoke and struck Eclipse across the back, knocking him off balance. In his drive to fight Marek, he had forgotten the other Rikkison. As Eclipse angrily threw his sword back at him, Jack rolled under it and came up with his blade high over his head. He came crashing down with such force that knocked Eclipse into the ground, his swords flying far from his grasp.

Marek furiously leaped up and soared toward his fallen opponent, but found his way blocked by his brother of all people. "Stop! We need him alive, Marek!" he yelled. Marek furiously landed in front of him and stared at him for a long second. He then furiously leaped up and spun around, landing a kick on Jack's midsection and sending his brother soaring straight into the old accessory shop. "Stay out of my way, brother!" he roared. By the time he looked back at Eclipse, his opponent was on his feet again.

"So far, I'm not impressed, Mary. You really have let yourself go! You used to be such a force of terror back in the golden days! What happened to you?!" Eclipse yelled, still smirking at him. Marek's lips tightened in rage as he started forward again.

"Unlike you, I've tried to change who I am!" he roared as he engaged his enemy. He didn't have the speed his brother did, but his broad blade and strength augmented with darkness were enough to give him the edge as he dealt blow after blow. Each one Eclipse managed to block, and he laughed loudly as he back-flipped, kicking Marek in the jaw and knocking him into a wall.

"Why try to fix what ain't broken? You can't even beat me anymore, so how are you gonna save yourself?!" the bounty hunter taunted. Marek roared as he exploded with darkness born out of pure rage. He slammed his fist into the ground, and instantly a dark aura engulfed his entire body. Eclipse' smile faltered and he back stepped as he threw another smoke bomb. Marek calmly stepped forward. Unfazed by the smoke, he blinked and instantly his eyes became yellow. His blade became encased in darkness as he twirled it around him, searching the smoke for body heat. He sensed a presence above him and instantly shot upward, swinging fast enough to strike Eclipse through the stomach before he could react.

He heard his enemy groan in pain and smirked as he flipped repeatedly until he hit the ground. Eclipse landed somewhat off-balance, one hand clutching his stomach. "Such power, and with only a sliver of Darkness! Think of what we could achieve together, Marek! You, the chosen vessel of Darkness itself, even though He is no longer within you, only a fraction of his power! You, and I, the bastard son of one of those damned Council members with a soul destined to embrace Their power!" Eclipse yelled to him. Marek shook his head as he wiped the blood off of his blade and held his dagger outward.

"Well, all that power and you're never gonna use it. Because you will die here, today. You never should have showed your face again. You should have just STAYED dead, you damn idiot!" he yelled.

Jack reappeared behind Eclipse instantly and managed to strike a blow before the assassin could fully react. Jack's blow cut through Eclipse's side, and he shoved his hand into the assassin's face and shot him with a lightning spell. Marek turned to run after him, but Jack leaped in his way again. "Marek, murder is not our way! Please, listen to me! We can defeat him together, but only if you hear me!" he pleaded. The white haired Rikkison could feel Darkness rising to the surface, and he knew he was at a dangerous point. He said nothing as he leaped up to the roof of the restaurant, where Eclipse had landed and was waiting for him. "Marek!" Jack called after him and quickly followed.

The brothers landed on either side of him, but Eclipse only smirked as he threw his swords down, where they stuck in the roof. "STOP HIM!" Marek roared as he dashed forward.

"Marek, stop!" Jack yelled as he ran to meet him. Eclipse threw his hands skyward and instantly glowed purple. He shot into the air before they could get to him and waited, suspended in the air.

"You know it's rude to keep your guests waiting, Mary." he goaded. Marek snarled as he readied to leap up to him, but Jack pointed something out he didn't see.

"He's got some sort of barrier around him." he said, pointing out the almost invisible ball surrounding Eclipse.

"That won't keep me from the bastard." Marek replied in determination and rage. Jack shook his head.

"We can break through it, but only if you trust me. Follow my lead." he told him. Marek glared at Eclipse for several moments before nodding begrudgingly. Jack smiled at him and turned, jumping high into the air and charging his fist with energy. "Hey, Eclipse, how many times have you heard about the prowess and legendry of a single Rikkison?! Well today, you face TWO!" he roared, throwing his hand out and sending a wave of light out of his hand so chaotic that it sent him flying back several feet. Eclipse kept smirking until the wave hit his force field.

The boundary sustained the hit, but was almost shattered from the force of Jack's attack. In the next moment, Jack looked to his brother and motioned to him. "Marek, now!" he yelled. Marek instantly leaped high, soaring up to him. Jack held out his hand, they clasped each other's. Jack spun around and built up energy before releasing his brother's hand, sending Marek flying toward their enemy with enough power to easily shatter his shield. Marek hit the boundary and crashed right through it, propelling himself into Eclipse and driving his dagger into his stomach. Eclipse frowned in surprise, but managed to plant both feet on Marek's chest and kick him away, Marek's grip on his dagger ripping it back out. The assassin gasped in pain as he felt the blood pouring freely from his new wound. He fell to the ground with a crash, and struggled to his feet as Jack landed at his brother's side. **(end Stains of Time) **

"You know you're beaten. But I'm not stopping here." Marek told him calmly. His dark aura faded away as he took a step toward Eclipse, his intent clear.

"Marek, no." Jack told him firmly.

"I'm not gonna let the little mongrel run crying back to his master. You have no idea what he did, what he's going to do. Jack, I can't let him live!" Marek argued, glancing back at him.

"Dissent in the ranks. It's always nice to see you building relationships up, Mary." Eclipse muttered from where he was limping away from them. Marek instantly snapped back at him, raising both of his weapons.

"Shut up! Choose your next words carefully, because they'll be the last ones you speak." he growled at him.

"Marek!" Jack spoke up sharply. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, and instantly Marek snapped. He whirled around, punching his brother in the face and putting Jack on his knees.

"I have to do this, Jack! DON'T get in my way!" Marek warned him, turning away toward Eclipse again, who was already running through a gray portal again. "NO!" he roared as he sprinted after him.

"Marek, let him go! We need you now, your family! We'll have another day to give him his reckoning! But today, we need you!" Jack yelled at him as he ran up and jumped on him, putting his arms around his brother's neck in an attempt to stop him.

"Jack, get off me!" Marek screamed, violently writhing around in order to throw him off. By the time Jack willingly got off of him, the portal had closed, and Eclipse was gone. "DAMMIT!" he roared, punching a wall so hard it left a good sized dent.

"Marek. We need you, now. I need you. Brother, if you will listen to no one, then listen to me. Eclipse isn't the biggest threat. We need him to find out who the real villain is who's pulling the strings here. I need your help, now more than ever." Jack told him calmly, stepping up to him calmly but warily. Marek stood up and threw his weapons away from him, before laughing maniacally.

He turned and looked at his brother, his face alive with genuine amusement. "How desperate can you get, Brother, that you need MY help? No one in that damned LE of yours trusts me enough to let me step foot an inch in their direction. So do tell why you need my help." he asked, pulling up a fallen chair from the destroyed restaurant and sitting on it.

"Look, I know you have no love for Jason, or anyone else really. But you're my brother, and I care about you like I always have. I think the only one you ever truly loved was Mother. Do you think she would want us fighting, Marek?" Jack asked him as he pulled up his own and sat down. Marek laughed quietly and shook his head.

"But it's not like she would be surprised, either. Even when we were little, we were always playing soldiers. I was always jealous of you, in every wrong way. There are so many things I wish I could undo, but I know in the end that I will never be able to. You want to have a family and a noble life, well WAKE UP and face reality, Brother! We are RIKKISONS, and Jason and our damn ancestors cursed us with this bloodline and their legacy. We will never have normal lives, and we will never escape the battlefield! We are the sons of war itself, you and I. No two men were ever born and bred for it more than we. You want a normal life, then here's some advice: turn your back on everything you've ever known and run. As long as you're a Rikkison, then you'll be haunted by the chains of the past and those idiots who call themselves Ancients. I don't trust Maechil anymore than the LE trusts me, and I suggest you do the same. But I'm not coming back with you. The light will never shine on me, and I'm content to follow the shadows." he firmly told his brother. He then stood up and kicked his chair away before heading for the world gates.

It was then that he felt a great gust of wind and felt a familiar presence. "Can you not leave me to my fate, old man?" he asked with a sigh as he turned around. Jack was standing next to his chair, at a loss for words. In the middle of the distance between the brothers stood Dawnomar. Jack seemed happy to let him talk, so he backed away.

"Marek Rikkison, you think nothing of the path that has been laid before you. You are destined for greater things than you see before you now. You wonder at where you belong, so I will tell you this: you will find no answers at present. It is in the past where your hidden answers lie. I offer a trip into your own past to discover what you never did. What you find there will mean nothing to anyone but you, but it will show you the way. The choice is yours." he told him calmly. Marek sniggered and half turned toward him.

"And why should I trust you? You're just a pawn of Maechil." he asked, narrowing his eyes. Dawnomar smiled himself, before taking a few steps toward him, the clunk of his staff hitting the ground with every other step.

"I have lived far longer than you care to imagine. If I had plans for you, I would not offer you a choice. If you trust no one, trust your brother, who trusts me." he answered. Marek looked at the old man, and looked at his brother. Jack calmly nodded, his eyes showing nothing but concern and support. He sighed, looking again at Dawnomar.

"Somehow, I know I'm gonna regret this….." he muttered.

**I'm so sorry about the long wait but I hope the length evened it out a little bit! I hope you enjoyed it! Thor 2 was awesome by the way, so you should go see it! Loki is a boss! Anyway, later guys! **


	10. Ch 10: The Seed of Envy

**Hey, everyone! Shout outs:**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Hey, it was too awesome not to, haha! Rayne is really gonna become a main driving force in the coming plots. She's just as awesome as the three main Rikkisons(Jack, Marek, and Pierce), and plus she's the strongest girl out of my OCs and it's really important to me. Well it will be something like that! **

**Celeron96: Thanks, and I'm glad you liked it! It's kinda weird writing both of them because they're so different. Marek is so much more reckless and barbaric than Jack, who is calmer and a cleaner fighter. **

**Lucenthia: Thanks! That's one of my own proudest achievements! And actually while I love his writing, I don't want THAT big of chapters because I can never sit down and read them all the way through at one time. That's another example of where I struggle with seeing the difference between the two brothers. Jack is calmer and normally he's respectful whereas Marek doesn't care who he's talking to. **

**Shadowdragon1317: Well, Jason has more problems than that, but moving on! Thanks! **

**Well, hopefully you know what I own by now so here's the next chapter, part one of the first piece of Marek's past!**

Chapter 10: The Seed of Envy

_Marek was completely powerless as he glided across the oceans of his dream world. His surroundings were being manipulated by forces unseen to him, and he had no control over what was happening, being forced to watch what transpired before him…._

_DESTINY ISLANDS, LONG AGO….._

_Anna Rikkison looked up at the storm clouds furling over the small world. She looked out at the ocean shore and could see the waves already thrashing dangerously, and called out to her son as it began to pour rain. "Jack, come inside! The storm's coming!" she told him loudly. The ten year old boy quickly turned to her from where he was standing on the shore._

"_Okay, Mom…" he sighed as he began to make his way back to her. She then looked all around, searching for any sign of her other son. _

"_Marek! Marek, where are you? Come inside!" she called out worriedly. But unbeknownst to her, her firstborn son was far out of hearing range. _

_He stood on the play island, which at the time consisted of nothing but a few decks of wood. He stood out on the plateau next to the sideways tree and stared up into the storm. Ever since he was born, he had had a strange affinity to storms. When his brother would power in their mother's arms, he would stare out the window eagerly, like a spectator watching his favorite sport. He remembered his mother saying it was because it had been raining the day he and his brother were born. He had always remembered those words, but never understood them. It had rained that day. He could never help but wonder if his father knew something about that. But of course, his father had left home shortly after they were born and had never come back. All his mother had told him was that his name was Jason and he had left to protect the worlds. It had been a long time since he had cared about his father and whatever he stood for. _

_As a bolt of lightning shot across the sky and illuminated the island, he stepped forward again and raised his arms into the air. His eyes shone with everything but fear, and he smiled as his ten year old voice echoed into the storm. "I am not afraid!" he yelled. The storm loudly rumbled back at him, and suddenly another bolt of lightning streaked downward and struck the area close to him. He had realized too late, and was thrown off the plateau and into the sea by the impact. As he came gasping to the surface, he realized something was at the center of the new crater and quickly climbed back up to explore it. _

_The crater was roughly twenty feet in diameter, and smoke still trailed in all directions. Marek shook the rain out of his eyes and ran into the crater. In the center was some sort of ethereal object. The boy reached down in awe and picked it up, beholding the beauty of his newfound prize. It was some sort of orb surrounded by glass, and within it was a swirling mass of black and purple fog. The fog seemed almost alive as it attempted to breach the boundaries of its container, and Marek didn't know what to think of it. _

_Suddenly, he heard quiet laughing from somewhere near him. He could tell the voice was old and getting raspy. He turned around and thought just for a second that he glimpsed something: an old looking figure with a hunch in his back, completely covered in some sort of black cloak. But when he blinked to brush the rain out of his eyes again, all trace of the voice and figure were gone. Seeing no other throats, he returned his attention to his orb and examined it with fascination. As he went to touch the seal on top, an eerie voice called out to him, completely audible despite the rain and roaring thunder. _

"_Be cautious, young one who is destined for greatness. What you hold before you now is a power beyond your control and understanding. Heed not its call, nor follow its false trail. You will open a door one day, but the manner of door will be one of your own doing. Love and Loss go hand in hand, and thus are intertwined for eternity. Never forget these things." The voice spoke to him. _

_Marek curiously looked around to see who was speaking, but could find no one. After another long moment of appreciative staring at the orb, he decided to bury it and come back to look at it more tomorrow. And so he buried it in the sand near the base of the massive tree in the center of the island and began to swim home, ignoring the thrashing waves and completely calm, enveloping himself in the embrace of the storm. _

_RIKKISONS' HOUSE, MAIN ISLAND….._

_He knew his mother would not be pleased that he had gone off without permission, so he decided to climb up onto the balcony of their house and slip into his and Jack's bedroom unnoticed. What he didn't think about was how soaking wet he and his clothes were. He climbed in through the window and shut it behind him, drowning out much of the storm. He then finally realized how wet he was and took off the wet clothes and replaced them with dry ones after drying himself off as best he could. He had just climbed into the top bunk of the room's bunk bed in time to feign sleep as his mother stepped in. "Marek, I know you're awake, and I know you haven't been in here the whole time." She started off firmly, already knowing his trick. He sighed, and rolled over to face her. _

"_Go away. It's not like you care about anyone but your favorite son." He told her spitefully. She was completely taken aback at his words, and didn't quite know how to respond. _

"_Well, that is completely unfair and untrue. But if you're going to talk to me like that then you can stay up here for the rest of the night." She told him, trying to sound calm. He glared at her across the room before rolling over and facing the opposite wall. He then heard her sigh before she stepped out and closed the door sharply. _

_It was less than an hour later that his brother quietly walked in. "Marek?" he asked. The white haired boy slowly rolled over and looked at his brown haired brother. _

"_Mom send you to bed?" he asked somewhat irritably. Jack slowly shook his head. _

"_No, I was just worried about you. You were out there in the storm, weren't you?" he replied as he walked over and sat down on the bottom bunk. _

"_Yeah. It's not like anyone cares what I do. Mom doesn't care, and our father never wanted either of us enough to be here. I just…have nothing here, at all. Every night I stare up at the stars. Even in storms, as the lightning lights up the night, I can feel the living energy all around me, and I know this isn't the only world out there. I would give ANYTHING to get away from here. Here, I'm nobody, and I have no destiny." He explained, his yearning for the outside world audible in his voice. Jack nodded, not fully understanding what his brother was talking about. The relationship between them was always strained at the best of times, and Jack never realized why. From Marek's view, their mother gave her youngest son all of her attention and cared for him so much more. _

"_It would be cool, flying up among the stars, free." He replied to his brother dreamily as he laid down on his bed. Marek sighed at his brother and shook his head as he rolled back over. _

"_He still doesn't understand anything…" he muttered as he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. _

_THE NEXT DAY….._

_By the time his brother and mother were waking up, Marek was already out of the house and roaming the town. He knew if his mom caught him in the morning, she would try to force him to go to the school, and so every morning he got up early and roamed the island instead. He spotted a fruit vendor to the side of the road and skirted behind it, out of sight. He smirked as he picked up a rock and threw it at the mound of fruit. The man standing by it gasped in alarm and quickly went to catch as many as he could. During the chaos, Marek easily walked up, grabbing two and heading down a side alley before the man could even notice. _

_He casually found his way down a maze of alleys and side streets, finally arriving at a tall fence that he easily scaled and leaped over, hitting the ground and rolling forward. He continued walking for another few minutes, until he came to a makeshift little hut made up of wooden beams and blankets. He opened up the shabby entrance and stepped inside, to be instantly greeted by a dog. The dog had black fur and he looked to be around fifty pounds, the top of his head reaching just past Marek's waist. "Hey, Boy. How've you been?" he asked him, holding out the extra fruit for him. The dog barked happily and instantly took it in its mouth while his master/friend began to eat his own. _

"_It's been so lonely up at my house. Hell, this world is lonely. I have no friends here. Well, except for one." He added with a smirk at the end. His dog looked up after finishing his fruit and barked happily, walking up and licking his hand. Marek smiled as he reached up and petted his head. "I just wish you could talk sometimes, Bane. You understand me better than anyone else on this god-forsaken island." He whispered calmly. Bane whined softly and put his paw up on his boy's leg. Marek couldn't help but smile, and suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. "Hey, Boy. Guess what happened to me last night! I was standing out in the storm watching the rain, and a bolt of lightning hit the ground near me. I went to where it hit and found this strange looking orb. I was instantly attached to it for some reason. You wanna see it?" he asked his dog. Bane barked happily and stood up. _

_Marek smiled at him and stood up, walking outside of the shack with his dog at his heels. They took all of the alleys and back streets to the shore, where Marek pulled his raft out of its hiding place and pushed it into the ocean before they climbed on top of it. They slowly made their way to the island, Bane prowling the edges and barking at fish the entire time. _

_When they finally arrived on the island, Marek frowned at seeing a group of kids already playing close to where he had hidden his prize. He slowly began to walk toward them, his dog staying behind him and watching the children cautiously. They hadn't walked more than a few feet in their direction when they were noticed. The four kids looked at the newcomers and instantly began to scatter. Marek sighed in relief, realizing his reputation as a rogue child actually had benefits. He and Bane walked up to the subtle mound near the base of the massive center tree and quickly began to dig up the orb. _

_As Marek reached in and picked it up, he eagerly turned and held it out for Bane to investigate. The dog slowly reached his muzzle out to sniff it, and instantly recoiled with a yelp, causing Marek to drop the orb on the ground. "What is it, Boy?" he asked quickly, completely confused. Bane backed away from the orb and growled menacingly at it, clearly feeling something his master didn't. The white haired Rikkison sighed, realizing that not even his dog liked his most prized possession. "Well, go on by the raft then, Boy. I'll be there in a few minutes." he said sadly. Bane whined, stepping forward and nudging his hand, but he shook his head. "Go on. I won't be long." He repeated. The dog drooped his head and tail, and turned around to walk back the way they had come. _

_It was when Bane went out of sight that Marek heard the voice. "None understand your obsession with power, do they? Not even your canine companion shares your interest in that orb. Do you wish to know what it truly is?" the voice said out of nowhere, causing Marek to instantly look around to see who was talking. He looked behind him, to where the fresh water pond was and saw the cloaked figure, watching him. _

"_Who are you?" he asked, having no fear of this newcomer. The man chuckled quietly in a hushed way that didn't disguise the grizzled age of his voice. _

"_I am a seeker of knowledge and a gatherer of persons destined for greatness. We both seek something that is beyond our single power to obtain. Alone, we are weak. But together…..we could be unstoppable." He replied slyly. The child, however, didn't fall for his kind words. _

"_You don't have to coat your words with lies. Besides, I have friends and family. This is my home." He told the figure. The man shook his head._

"_A family who cares nothing for you, as you yourself know. That is why you stand out here alone amidst the rain and thunder, Boy. And a single friend who walks on four legs and rolls around with parasites and rats. This is no home for a boy destined for so much. But very well, I shall give you three days to reconsider my offer. To help you make your decision, I will instruct you as to how to open your prize." he said, pulling back his hood and revealing his face. He was bald and old with a hunched back. He had a short white goatee and his eyes shone yellow. He calmly walked toward Marek, his hand stretched out for the orb. Marek instantly stepped back, protecting it, causing the old man to smirk. "Spare me, Boy. If I truly wanted it, I would take it from you. Call me Xehanort, and I am one of four who were trained to protect all of the worlds from universal threats. I would like to extend that offer to you, as well. Become my apprentice." He explained. He continued to smirk as he held his hand out again. _

_Marek, still completely unsure of the man, slowly held the orb out and placed it in Xehanort's hand. "What is it?" he asked him calmly. _

"_A self sustaining vessel filled with power beyond imagining. But it is only experimental as of now. Soon the formula will be perfected. It contains the essence of a god-like being. A warrior merged with such a thing has never been seen or heard of before. Now to open the vessel, you must summon the very core of your own heart and use all of your will power, focusing it into the latch on top of the orb. When the latch has begun to glow, stretch forth your hand reach inside, allowing the energy to merge with you. This will make you a warrior able to match and overcome almost any other in the universe. But you can only do this with the training I can give you as your master." Xehanort explained, calmly walking him through the steps. He carefully watched the boy's face for any signs of emotion, finally seeing a flicker of greed cross his face for a fraction of a second. It lasted only a sliver of a second, but it was enough to prove the old man right. This boy was the perfect vessel to test a power as old as the world itself. Now it was the perfect time to begin the second half of his plan…._

**Well, hopefully it came out alright. I'm not sure. I'm sure you saw Xehanort's involvement coming, but I promise there's more to it than that. Also Marek having a dog as his only friend was something I decided while writing the chapter, so if it didn't make sense then I'm sorry. But there will be a significance to it! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see everyone later, guys!**


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